The Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet

by George Q. Cannon

Footnotes

[1]. See [NOTE 3.], APPENDIX.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE CORNER STONE OF THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE LAID—A PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT OPENED—THE PROPHET'S MISSION TO CANADA—A MINISTER'S OPPOSITION— BAPTISMS—PERSECUTIONS AT KIRTLAND—WILFORD WOODRUFF RECEIVES THE GOSPEL.

No work of murderous mobs or judicial persecution has ever been able to stay the cause inaugurated under divine direction through Joseph Smith. At the very hour when the mob, on the 23rd day of July, 1833, were issuing their mandate of exile to the Saints in Jackson County, the cornerstone of the Lord's house in Kirtland was being laid according to the order of the Holy Priesthood of Christ. It was not that the purpose had shifted, that the center stake was to be removed from Missouri to Ohio. The command had been given; it will not be annulled. But long before manifestation of mob violence in Jackson County, the Lord had directed the building of a temple at Kirtland and the establishment of a stake of Zion there.

And while the future, to human appearance, seemed to be growing darker and darker, Joseph received a revelation in which the Lord declared His immutable covenant that the Saints should be rewarded and blessed according to His promise, and that their afflictions should eventually be turned to their everlasting good. And, while the wickedness of the mobs in Missouri was still agitating the hearts of Joseph and the Saints and making the weak among the people to tremble and the strong to feel deep indignation, the Lord commanded His Saints to renounce war and proclaim peace and to bear afflictions patiently, until the third time of their being smitten by the wicked. He promised them that whoso should lay down their life in the cause of Christ should find it again, even life eternal.

On the 11th day of September, 1833, a council under the presidency of the Prophet was held in Kirtland, and it was decided that a printing establishment should be opened there for the publication of the persecuted Evening and Morning Star and for a new paper to be called the Latter-day Saints' Messenger and Advocate. About the same time Elders Orson Hyde and John Gould were sent to Jackson County as messengers from the First Presidency to the Missouri Saints in their tribulation.

The Prophet felt that the field of souls was white for the harvest and that it was incumbent upon him to thrust in his sickle and gather the honest-in-heart. On the 5th day of October, 1833, he departed from Kirtland upon a missionary journey to Canada, in company with Sidney Rigdon and Freeman A. Nickerson. At various places on the road, they stopped and proclaimed the word of the Lord unto the inhabitants. In some villages they found already members of the Church. In others they found God-fearing men and women who were praying for light and were willing to obey when the simple gospel was presented before the eyes of their understanding. On the 12th day of October they had arrived at Perrysburg, New York, where they halted for a little time. Here the Prophet received a revelation in which the Lord instructed him that Zion must be chastened yet for a season, although she would finally be redeemed. When they reached Lodi, New York, they preached in the evening and made a further appointment for the day following at a Presbyterian meeting house, the use of which had been promised to them. But when many people had assembled outside the hall to hear Joseph, they were refused admission by the jealous sectarians in charge, and the indignant congregation went home in great confusion. On the 17th day of October the Prophet and his companions reached the home of Freeman A. Nickerson at Mount Pleasant in Upper Canada; and at this place and the adjoining town of Brantford and the villages of Colburn and Waterford they held several meetings which were blessed by a great outflow of the Spirit of God and by the presence of many honest-hearted people. Upon one occasion at Colburn they were beset very tumultuously at one of their meetings by a Wesleyan Methodist, who was determined that the assembled people should not hear the gospel. But his own lack of logic and courtesy injured himself rather than the persons against whom his violent efforts were directed. On the 26th day of October, after preaching to a large congregation at Mount Pleasant, Joseph baptized twelve persons, and on each of the two following days he baptized two persons, all of whom were confirmed as members of the Church. The Prophet also ordained E. F. Nickerson to be an Elder; and he gave much instruction to the newly-converted Saints concerning the truth and the constant necessity for watchfulness and humility. This labor made a considerable opening in this region for the further preaching of the truth. It was not, however the first proclamation of the gospel in Canada, because as early as July 20th of the same year, 1833, Elder Orson Pratt had preached to the people in Patten.

On the 29th day of October the Prophet and his companions departed from Mount Pleasant for Kirtland; and on Monday, the 4th day of November, the Prophet reached his home and found his family in peace, as had been promised in the revelation given to him at Perrysburg.

The inhabitants of Geauga County, Ohio, in which Kirtland was situated, began now to partake of a persecuting and mobocratic spirit, and threatened the Saints resident there with similar afflictions to those which had been visited upon their brethren in Missouri. The Prophet knew of the hate that was hanging around him, but he calmly viewed the situation, and in writing to Bishop Partridge at Clay County, Missouri, under date of December 5th, 1833, he said:

The inhabitants of this county threaten our destruction, and we know not how soon they may be permitted to follow the examples of the Missourians; but our trust is in God, and we are determined, by His grace assisting us, to maintain the cause and hold out faithful unto the end, that we may be crowned with crowns of celestial glory, and enter into the rest that is prepared for the children of God.

On the 16th day of December, 1833, the Lord revealed to Joseph the divine purpose concerning the Saints in Missouri, saying,

I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;

Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels.

Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son;

For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.

* * * * *

And they that have been scattered shall be gathered;

And all they who have mourned shall be comforted;

And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.

Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.

Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered;

They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion.

And immediately after the revelation was received the Prophet sent William Pratt and David W. Patten, as messengers to the scattered Saints of Missouri to give them words of comfort and instruction.

Early in the month of December, 1833, Bishop Newel K. Whitney and Oliver Cowdery had brought to Kirtland a new printing press, and on the 18th day of the month a printing office in Kirtland was dedicated to the Lord and His purposes, and Oliver Cowdery began the publication of the Evening and Morning Star, which had been cast out of Missouri. On the day that Joseph dedicated the printing establishment to the service of the Lord, his father, Joseph Smith, Senior, was ordained to be the Patriarch to the whole Church. On that day Joseph wrote:

And blessed is my father, for the hand of the Lord will be over him, for he shall see the afflictions of his children pass away; and when his head is fully ripe, he shall behold himself as an olive, whose branches are bowed down with much fruit; he shall also possess a mansion on high.

In view of all that has since occurred, it is a remarkable fact, that the Prophet recorded in his journal of the 31st of December, 1833, the fact that "Wilford Woodruff was baptized at Richland, Oswego County, New York, by Zera Pulsipher." And this was before the Prophet and the future Apostle and President had ever met in the flesh. This is not the only mention of Wilford Woodruff in Joseph's dairy prior to their meeting. In one place the Prophet notices that Wilford had been ordained a teacher. It was the 25th day of April, 1834, when Wilford Woodruff visited the Prophet at Kirtland, and from that time on until Joseph's death they were intimately associated. It was clear that Joseph felt the staunch worthiness of his young brother, and in relying on him the Prophet was leaning upon no weak or broken reed, for Wilford Woodruff had been and had ever shown the fidelity of a Saint and the integrity and power of an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was one of the most faithful of all the men who were gathered near to the Prophet's person to share his trials and his confidences. Wilford Woodruff never made any attempt to cultivate showy qualities, and yet he was always marked among his fellows; his characteristic humility and unswerving honesty being sufficient to attract the attention of all who had known him. His is another of the names to be recorded with that of Joseph, and it is worthy to stand side by side with the names of Brigham Young and John Taylor, for he was as loyal to them as he and they were to Joseph, the first Prophet of this dispensation.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE JACKSON COUNTY PERSECUTIONS—APPEAL TO GOVERNOR DUNKLIN—HIS TIMID REPLY—HEARTLESS DRIVINGS—A BRUTAL MURDER—BOGGS ALLOWS THE MOB TO ORGANIZE AS A MILITIA—PITCHER PLACED IN COMMAND—CERTAIN MEN TAKEN IN CUSTODY BY THE MOB—SETTLEMENT IN CLAY COUNTY—COURT OF INQUIRY.

"Be still and know that I am God."

These are the words with which the Almighty answered Joseph when he importuned Heaven concerning the woes of the Saints in Missouri. And so he was wont to solace himself and his brethren with the remembrance of the revealed word that "After much tribulation cometh the blessing." How many years of the people or days of the Lord must elapse before the Saints would be planted in power in Zion, the Prophet could not learn; but this he did know that after her term of affliction and purification had passed she would be redeemed and beautified, and this is the promise that he uttered to his brethren in Kirtland and wrote to the Saints in Missouri.

While Joseph had been traveling in the missionary field, momentous events took place in the far west. The truce which the mob had made, the mob had broken. Assaults upon the houses of the Saints were of constant occurrence. Satan was not satisfied that the people of the Lord should peacefully migrate with their few possessions into some other region, and the more turbulent spirits in the rabble began to threaten the lives of leading men at Independence and to declare that all of the people—men, women and children,—should be whipped out of the county. An attempt was made to establish a colony in Van Buren County, in the south. Some of the Saints settled there and began to labor diligently in the fields, but the spirit of mobocracy had spread, and a mob rose in arms, threatening to drive the Saints farther into exile.

On the 28th day of September, 1883, a petition was addressed to His Excellency Daniel Dunklin, Governor of the State of Missouri, by the persecuted people in Jackson County; and it was carried to the executive office in Jefferson City by Elders Orson Hyde and William W. Phelps. In this eloquent document a recital was made of the woes to which the people had been subjected, of the patience with which they had borne these outrages, of the utter subversion of the principles of law and humanity, and of the participation in these outrages by leading men in the state, civil and military officers, politicians and preachers. The final appeal in this petition was as follows:

Knowing, as we do, that the threats of this mob, in most cases, have been put into execution, and knowing also that every officer, civil and military, with a very few exceptions, has pledged his life and honor to force us from the county, dead or alive; and believing that civil process cannot be served without the aid of the Executive; and not wishing to have the blood of our defenseless women and children to stain the land which has once been stained by the blood of our fathers to purchase our liberty; we appeal to the Governor for aid, asking him, by express proclamation or otherwise, to raise a sufficient number of troops, who, with us, may be empowered to defend our rights, that we may sue for damages in the loss of property—for abuse—for defamation, as to ourselves; and if advisable, try for treason against the government, that the law of the land may not be defied, nor nullified, but peace be restored to our country:—And we will ever pray.

Not one word in this petition had been set down in malice; it was temperate and respectful; and though its utterances were strong, they were borne out by incorruptible testimony, as well as, mainly, by the admissions of the mob themselves.

After such an appeal, the Saints were entitled to prompt action and help. The Governor merely replied that the attorney-general of the state was absent, and upon his return a response would be prepared and sent by mail to Independence. The messengers from Zion journeyed back with empty hands, and awaited, amidst the tide of persecution, which was rising higher and higher around them, the signal of succor, from the executive office.

About the 26th of October, 1833, a reply was received from Governor Dunklin, in which he says:

No citizen, nor number of citizens, have a right to take the redress of their grievances, whether real or imaginary, into their own hands. Such conduct strikes at the very existence of society and subverts the foundation on which it is based. Not being willing to persuade myself that any portion of the citizens of the state of Missouri are so lost to a sense of these truths as to require the exercise of force, in order to ensure respect for them, after advising with the attorney-general, and exercising my best judgment, I would advise you to make a trial of the efficacy of the laws; the judge of your circuit is a conservator of the peace. If an affidavit is made before him by any of you, that your lives are threatened and you believe them in danger, it would be his duty to have the offenders apprehended, and bind them to keep the peace.

Such was the redress offered by the man whose sworn duty it was to see that the laws were faithfully executed. The lamb was sent back by the lion to ask protection from the wolf! It has often happened since in the history of the Saints, as it was then, that the men who should have been their vigilant protectors against plunderers and murderers, have been among the thieves and assassins.

But Governor Dunklin's letter contained a promise that, in the event of a failure to get proper execution of the law in Jackson County, he would, upon official notification, take further steps to enforce its faithful observance. Upon this slight hope, the Saints began to restore their houses to comfort and to labor in the fields for their maintenance.

The Saints had engaged four lawyers to aid them in obtaining a redress of their grievances, and as soon as this fact became known, the event occurred which Governor Dunklin should have foreseen. With tenfold intensity the fire of hatred raged against the people. On the night of October 31st an armed mob attacked a settlement of the Saints west of Big Blue, tore the roofs from many of the dwelling houses, whipped the men and drove the women and children screaming into the wilderness. The profanity of the mob was appalling. None of the Saints were armed, and the resistance which they might have offered with sticks was forbidden by their captors under penalty of death. Satiated with brutality, the mob at length retired, leaving orders that the Saints—men, women and children—should leave the county. The next day was the first of bleak November; and when the cold morning dawned, the Saints crept out of their hiding places whither they had fled for safety, and came back to their despoiled homes to find their habitations and their gardens in ruins. The women wept for their scourged and bleeding husbands. Children sobbed with hunger, cold and fear. How were these plundered people to find means for journeying to a land of safety? And whither were they to go? Asylum had already been denied them in the adjoining county: adequate protection had been practically denied to them by the civil power of the state; and they had no hope that any section of Missouri would harbor them.

Such scenes of horror were repeated night after night at Independence, and every dwelling place of the Saints in that county. At Independence, on the 1st of November, one of the mob was caught in the very act of robbing the store of Gilbert & Whitney, and was carried before Samuel Weston, a justice of the peace; but despite the boast of the Governor, Mr. Weston refused to issue a warrant or to entertain the case, and the robber was turned loose to join his fellows in a continuation of murderous work. Other efforts were made to secure the aid of judicial power to stop the horrible work of the rabble, but in vain. Such of the officers of the law as were not allied with the mob dared not assert their authority. And so the work of rapine went on until it ended in murder.

The 3rd day of November, 1833, was Sunday, and the Saints hoped for a cessation of hostilities, but none came. Word went out among the mob that Monday would be a bloody time. On November the 4th, the day of Joseph's return to Kirtland from his Canada mission, a large party of the mob fired upon some of the Saints west of Big Blue. Several of the Saints were wounded, two desperately. These were young men named Barber and Dibble, who were thought to have been fatally injured; but Philo Dibble finally recovered, and at the time of this writing is still living, a respected citizen of Utah Territory. After lingering in great agony, Barber died the next day. Three times and more the Saints had permitted their enemies to smite them, and three times and more they had submitted patiently. They had appealed to civil and military power in vain, and now the sight of blood thus wantonly shed aroused in them a strong spirit of resistance. When the mob continued the massacre they were greeted by shots from such of the Saints as had guns, and two of the mob fell dead. One of them, Hugh L. Brazeale, had often boasted: "I will wade to my knees in blood but that I will drive the Mormons from Jackson County."

The men who had caught the mobber in the act of plundering Gilbert & Whitney's store were arrested upon a fictitious charge of assault upon that wretch. Apparently the mob had no difficulty in obtaining process of court and securing its service. An effort was made to kill these prisoners while they were in charge of the officers of the law, and shots were fired at them, and they had to be placed in jail to protect their lives.

And now comes the most diabolical feature of all the persecution in Missouri up to that date. On the 5th day of November, 1833, Lieutenant-Governor Boggs permitted the mob to organize as a militia, and placed them under the command of Colonel Thomas Pitcher. While the Saints showed no intention of resisting, the rabble did not feel the need of such organization; but when it was found that, driven to the last extremity, the Saints would fight for their lives, Boggs clothed the mob with military power, that resistance to them might be charged against the Saints as insurrection against the legal authorities of the state of Missouri.

Colonel Pitcher demanded that the Saints should give up their arms; that certain men who had been engaged in the fight west of Big Blue should be delivered into his hands to be tried for murder; and that the people should leave the county forthwith. It was clear that the alternative was death to the men and outrage to the women and children. And so the Saints yielded under solemn promise of protection. As soon as the demand was complied with, the mob rushed like demons in various directions, bursting violently into houses and threatening the women and children with massacre. One party of the mob was headed by Rev. Isaac McCoy, and other preachers joined in the rabble. Men, women and children fled to the prairie and to the river banks, seeking in the wilderness, amidst all its terrors, a peace denied them by civilized men. Husbands and wives and children were separated, and one knew not whether his beloved kin were dead or alive.

Who can say that a restoration of the Gospel of Peace was not necessary in such an age?

After a time most of the scattered Saints gathered in Clay County, where a court of inquiry was ordered by Governor Dunklin, but the murderers and robbers who slew the Saints and took their substance in Jackson County, Missouri, went unwhipped of justice. Clay County was the only section of the state which received the Saints with any degree of charity. From Van Buren and Lafayette and other counties they were forced to flee as they were from Jackson.

In Clay County, where many of them had found a haven of rest among noble-hearted citizens, the Saints prepared and sent up to Governor Dunklin such piteous appeals as might have melted a heart of adamant. They had been stripped of all their worldly substance; winter was upon them; they even lacked food and raiment; and from hour to hour they were in expectation of further assaults. It was their supplication to the Governor that he would use the power of the state to restore them to their lands and possessions, and to give a sufficient guard to a court of inquiry, which might examine into the whole history of the outrages made against them. The court of inquiry was held, and Colonel Pitcher was arraigned and ordered for further trial by court-martial. But it soon became clear that the Saints could not be restored to their lands in Jackson County under existing conditions; because the mob swore that if they returned, there would be a wholesale massacre of Mormons, and the Governor, it was said, had not the constitutional right to establish a permanent guard for the persons and property of the defenseless Saints.

Messengers had gone at various times from the scenes of the outrage in Missouri to the Prophet at Kirtland, and when he heard the dreadful news, he burst into tears and sobbed aloud:

"Oh, my brethren, my brethren! would that I had been with you to share your fate. Almighty God, what shall we do in such a trial as this?"

CHAPTER XXVII.

HURLBURT'S EFFORTS TO DESTROY JOSEPH—HIGH COUNCILS ORGANIZED—THE CAMP OF ZION—A HARD JOURNEY—RATTLESNAKES IN CAMP—THE PROPHET'S PHILOSOPHY—ELDER HUMPHREY'S EXPERIENCE.

With the opening of the year 1834, Joseph recorded his prayer that the Lord would deliver Zion and gather in His scattered people to possess it in peace, and that, in their dispersion, He would provide for them that they might not perish of hunger and cold.

At the same time he was pursued by threats against his own life. The apostate, Doctor P. Hurlburt, was determined to wreak his rage upon Joseph's person. Hurlburt had circulated vile falsehoods and presented lying affidavits among the people in the towns surrounding Kirtland, in the hope of exciting mobocratic violence. If personal considerations alone had been involved in these attempts of Hurlburt's to destroy him, the Prophet might have taken no steps to restrain him or to bring him to justice. But his duty to the Church demanded his preservation, and by his consent process of court was secured against Hurlburt, and later, on the 9th of April, 1834, that infamous creature was found guilty of threatening to kill, and was by a court at Chardon, Ohio, placed under bonds.

Many high councils exist in the Church at the present time, there being one in every Stake of Zion. It was on the 17th day of February, 1834, at Kirtland, however, that the Prophet organized the first high council of the Church. This tribunal consisted of twelve High Priests, and it was presided over by the Prophet and his two counselors, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. Its duty was to hear all matters of dispute between members of the Church who sought equity, and to decide such issues according to the principles of eternal justice. The plan of settling disputes and preventing litigation among brethren, which the Prophet was then inspired to introduce, has grown with the growth of the Church, and the high council has performed an important mission in the years which have followed. It has worked without fees; it has known no coercion; the honesty of its decisions have been beyond question; and often it has been appealed to by men not of the faith, that their disputes might be settled with fairness and economy. It has never usurped the function of the criminal courts; it has never sought to enforce its judgment by any civil process. It has only decreed according to clear and unmistakable justice and has left the parties to accept the judgment, and if not complied with or appealed from, to have Church fellowship withdrawn from them. The rules which the Prophet established to control its proceedings under divine guidance were delivered to it at the time of organization, and they, speaking of all the high councils which have since been organized, are still governed by them. To confirm the twelve chosen men in their places the Prophet laid his hands upon each one's head and blessed him with the gifts and authority necessary for his calling.

The first act of the high council at Kirtland was to declare Joseph Smith the President of the Church with Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams as the other members of the First Presidency.

All this time the cry of the exiled Saints in Missouri was ascending to heaven for the redemption of their homes and for their own release from oppression. In a revelation given to the Prophet February 24, 1834, the Lord made known that the wicked had been permitted to fill up the measure of their iniquities that those who are called after His name might be chastened for a season; because in many things they had not hearkened unto His commandments. He declared that in His own due time the punishment of His wrath should be poured out upon the persecutors of His Saints, and He promised the elect that they should repossess the goodly land from which they had been driven. The Prophet was commanded to gather up the strength of the Lord's house to journey to the land Zion to assist the scattered Saints. Two days later he departed for the East to obtain assistance for the work of the Lord. Other Elders were also called to perform similar missions. The Prophet traveled as far as Geneseo, New York, reaching there on the 15th day of March, 1834. On the way he preached to many of the congregations of Saints and also to many assemblages of unbelievers. On the 19th of March he began his return journey to Kirtland, which place he reached on the 28th. On the 18th day of April, 1834, while Joseph was journeying in company with Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery and Zebedee Coltrin to New Portage for the purpose of gathering up help for Zion, an effort was made by a party of men to capture them as they traveled along the road after darkness had fallen. By driving rapidly they escaped the hands of the bandits who sent a torrent of curses after the Prophet's party.

It was the 5th day of May, 1834, when Joseph, having gathered clothing and food for his brethren and sisters in Missouri who had been robbed and plundered of their effects, departed, with a company of brethren, from Kirtland to find and succor the distressed Saints. His party consisted of about one hundred men, nearly all young and nearly all endowed with the Priesthood. At New Portage they were joined by fifty men, some of whom had gone in advance of the main body from Kirtland. A careful and harmonious organization of the company was made that the progress of this Camp of Zion might be in steadiness and order.

The wagons of the party numbered twenty and were filled with provisions and clothing, and such arms as the company needed for the securing of game and for defense. Nearly all of the men were compelled to walk, and Joseph cheerfully led their journey. They traveled sometimes forty or fifty miles in a day, resting always on the Sabbath and holding religious services. Every night they retired to their tents at the sound of the trumpet, and every man bowed to the Lord in thanksgiving for the blessings of the day and in supplication for the welfare of the families they were leaving behind and the poor Saints they were going to meet. And every morning at the sound of the trumpet every man arose and fell upon his knees before Heaven, invoking its watchful care during the day.

The march was necessarily one of great hardship. The men waded rivers, struggled through marshes and tramped across hard stretches of hill and sandy plain. Many of them suffered from bruised and bleeding feet. Often they were harassed by evil men who suspected their mission and sought to prevent its fulfillment.

A few persons in the Camp had proved unruly, and while they were in the vicinity of the Illinois River, Joseph was led to utter a solemn warning against the dissensions of some of his brethren. He exhorted them to faithfulness and humility, and told them that the Lord had revealed to him that a scourge must come upon them in consequence of their disobedience. Still if they would repent and humble themselves before the Lord, a part of the severity of the scourge might be turned away.

Joseph and his brethren reached the banks of the Mississippi on the 4th day of June, and encamped at a point where the river was a mile and half in width. Having but one ferry boat two days were required in which to make the passage of the entire party from Illinois into Missouri. Besides, they were delayed, though not prevented, by the menace of numerous enemies who swore that they should not pass beyond the Mississippi.

One of the instructions given by the Prophet during this journey was that his brethren should not kill an animal of any kind, unless it became absolutely necessary to save themselves from starvation. On one occasion, while the Prophet's tent was being pitched at camp the men saw three rattlesnakes and were about to kill them, but Joseph forbade the act. He asked the Elders how would the serpent ever lose its venom while the servants of God made war upon it with desire to kill. He said: "Men themselves must first become harmless before they can expect the brute creation to be so. When man shall lose his own vicious disposition and cease to destroy the inferior animals, the lion and lamb may dwell together and the suckling child play with the serpent in safety." It was a deep philosophy and contrary to the preconceived notions and early lessons of his brethren; but they obeyed. And soon they experienced the truth of his words. One of the members of the Camp by the name of Solomon Humphrey lay down on the prairie one day to rest. He fell asleep with his hat in hand. While he slumbered a large rattlesnake crawled up and coiled between him and his hat, and when Elder Humphrey awoke he found the serpent's head not a foot from his own. He did not harm it, and when some of his brethren would have killed it, he stayed their hands, saying: "No, I will protect him, for he and I have had a good nap together." Although the rattlesnake was roused it made no effort to strike.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

VAIN APPEALS OF THE JACKSON COUNTY SAINTS FOR PROTECTION—THE APPROACH OF ZION'S CAMP—ATTEMPTS TO RAISE AN OPPOSING ARMY—JAMES CAMPBELL'S PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILLMENT—A PROVIDENTIAL STORM—REMARKABLE RISE OF FISHING RIVER—JOSEPH STATES THE OBJECT OF ZION'S CAMP—A COMFORTING REVELATION.

While the Prophet was encountering and overcoming many difficulties to bring succor to the Saints, the latter were engaged in a vain struggle to secure their rights. Correspondence passed between their leaders and the civil officers from the judges up to the President of the United States. Many of the appeals brought polite replies, but they resulted in no effective aid. Governor Dunklin sent several communications recognizing and deploring the wrongs inflicted, but stating he could not, without transcending his power, order a military force to maintain the Saints in their Jackson County possessions. The latter sentiment was also the substance of the reply from the Secretary of War in behalf of the President of the United States. It is worthy of note that in all of the correspondence upon this question not a single charge is made against the Saints. It proves that in all things they were the sufferers from wrong, and not the doers of wrong; because the men to whom they appealed would have been quick to offer an excuse for their failure to extend redress.

Possibly the Governor thought he had done enough when he filled his correspondence with high-minded and sympathetic sentiments; but of what avail was it to the Saints for him to say to them as follows?

On the subject of civil injuries, I must refer you to the courts; such questions rest with them exclusively. The laws are sufficient to afford a remedy for every injury of this kind, and, whenever you make out a case, entitling you to damages, there can be no doubt entertained of their ample award. Justice is sometimes slow in its progress, but it is not less sure on that account.

This is but a repetition practically of what he had said before without avail. Was not this almost a mockery of the people's disasters? It was at least a satire upon the persistent denial of the judicial officers in Jackson County to do justice. Later a court of inquiry was convened at Independence, under military guard; but the mob defied all the authority of law, scoffed at the Governor's order, subdued the court into a state of terror, and laughed at the troops as they were withdrawn. A court martial was convened and it found Colonel Pitcher guilty of calling upon the militia to repress an insurrection where there was no insurrection, and decided that he had taken arms from the citizens who were lawfully seeking to defend themselves against unlawful aggression; but the Governor in vain commanded the officers to restore the arms to the people from whom they had been stolen. Although repeated orders were issued by his Excellency those arms never were and to this day have not been returned.

The assaults of the mob on the scattered Saints and their property in Jackson County continued. In the latter part of April, 1834, one hundred and fifty houses were torn to the ground by the rabble.

Joseph and his party found a branch of the Church at Salt River, in the state of Missouri, where they encamped to spend Sunday, the 8th of June. Here they were joined by Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight with another party which had been gathered in the State of Michigan and surrounding regions; and the Camp of Zion with this addition now numbered two hundred and five men and twenty-five wagons well laden. Several days were devoted to much needed recuperation, for the greater part of this devoted band of men had traveled nine hundred miles in a little more than a month's time, the journey being largely made on foot amidst all the natural hardships of a wild country where constant watchfulness had to be exercised.

On the 18th of June they pitched their tents within one mile of Richmond in Ray County. Two days previous to this time a mass meeting had been held at the court house in Liberty, Clay County, to consider propositions made by the people of Jackson County to the exiled Saints. Flaming war speeches were delivered by civil officers and by sectarian priests from Jackson County, who had hoped to arouse the hospitable people of Clay against their inoffensive guests, the Saints. Because General Doniphan and the chairman of the meeting, a Mr. Turnham, counseled peace and decency, the old spirit of savage violence broke loose with all its virulence on the part of the representatives from Independence, and the meeting ended with a stabbing affray between two members of the former mob, in which one of them was dangerously wounded. The leading men among the Saints presented an answer in which they asked for time and in which they deprecated any hostilities upon either side during the pendency of the negotiation. It was at once manifest that the proposition of the mobocrats had been but a sham to cover further violence. The news of the approach of the Prophet and his brethren in an organized camp had reached the ears of these infuriated men, and they felt that he was putting himself in their power. They counted with entire certainty upon the inability of the officers of the law to prevent their carrying out any fell purpose which they might adopt against the Latter-day Saints. If there was an official who did not justify them in their attacks upon the believers in this unpopular religion, they expected to overawe him; but from the Governor down they knew they had secret sympathy if not their active aid. With all their innocence and excellence, therefore, the Latter-day Saints could place no reliance upon the laws and the safeguards of civilized society to protect them if these desperadoes chose to attack them.

The sole purpose of Joseph and his brethren was to bring succor to their suffering friends; but this their inhuman enemies were determined they should not do. Fifteen of the most violent mobocrats, with Samuel C. Owens and James Campbell at their head started to raise an army to meet and overpower the Camp of Zion. James Campbell swore as he adjusted his pistols in the holsters, "The eagles and turkey buzzards shall eat my flesh if I do not fix Joe Smith and his army so that their skins will not hold shucks, before two days are past." That night as twelve of these mobocrats were attempting to cross the Missouri River their boat was sunk and seven of them were drowned. Among the lost was Campbell, whose corpse floated down the river several miles and lodged upon a pile of driftwood, where ravenous birds did indeed pick his flesh from his bones, leaving the hideous bare skeleton to be discovered three weeks later by one Mr. Purtle.

On the night of the 19th, unobserved by a large party of their enemies who intended to fall upon them and murder them, the members of Zion's Camp passed through Richmond in the darkness, and pitched their tents between two branches of Fishing River.

While the members of the Camp were making preparations for the night five armed desperadoes appeared before them and, with many blasphemies, said: "You will see hell before morning. Sixty men are coming from Richmond, and seventy more from Clay County to utterly destroy you." More than three hundred bloodthirsty men had engaged to concentrate at this point and attack Joseph. But to the subsequent unbounded thankfulness of the members of the Camp, the Lord interposed. When night came a mighty hurricane arose, throwing the plans of these savages into confusion, scattering them in the utmost disorder, and melting their courage into abject fright in the presence of the awful elemental strife. The severity of the storm was not felt to the same extent where Joseph and the camp had rested, but around them hail fell like grapeshot, spreading terror among the people and devastation amidst all the work of human hands.

While the surrounding region was in this state of consternation, Joseph and his party took refuge in a log meeting house near their camp, being compelled to enter the building through a window. When the commotion was over and they emerged from their retreat, the Prophet gave orders that the parties to whom the house belonged should be visited and tendered an explanation of the intrusion and remuneration for any fancied damage. So scrupulous was he not to trespass upon the rights of others.

When the tornado burst only forty of the mob had been able to cross Fishing River. They afterwards swore that the little Fishing River rose thirty feet in thirty minutes, separating them from their companions, and making them glad to flee back among their lawless friends in Jackson County. The larger party of the mob, thus foiled in their purpose to cross the river, also fled. The Big Fishing River had risen nearly forty feet in one night. One of the mob had been killed by lightning.

On Saturday, the 21st of June, Colonel Scounce and two other leading men of Ray County visited Joseph, and begged to know his intentions, stating: "We see that there is an almighty power that protects this people." Colonel Scounce confessed that he had been leading a company of armed men to fall upon the Prophet, but had been driven back by the storm. The Prophet with all the mildness and dignity which ever sat so becomingly upon him, and which always impressed his hearers, answered that he had come to administer to the wants of his afflicted friends and did not wish to molest or injure anybody. He then made a full and fair statement of the difficulties as he understood them; and when he had closed the three ambassadors, melted into compassion, offered their hands and declared that they would use every endeavor to allay the excitement.

On the 22nd day of June, 1834, while encamped on Fishing River, Joseph received a revelation in which the Lord declared that the Elders should wait for a season for the redemption of Zion; that he did not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion, for he would fight their battles; and this he addressed to the Camp which had come up from Kirtland and other places into Missouri to do His will and with the hope that they might contribute to the redemption of His afflicted people. The Lord rebuked many among the Saints in the branches of the Church in the different states for their failure to join the Camp of Zion in response to the call which He had made upon them. The Lord had required the churches abroad to send up wise men with their moneys to purchase lands in Missouri, and thus assist in the redemption of Zion; but they had not hearkened unto His words. After renewing the promise that the day of redemption should surely come, and promising those who had hearkened to His words that He had prepared a blessing and an endowment for them if they would continue faithful, the revelation concluded:

And inasmuch as they [the Saints] follow the counsel which they receive, they shall have power after many days to accomplish all things pertaining to Zion.

And again I say unto you, sue for peace, not only the people that have smitten you; but also to all people;

And lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth;

And make proposals for peace unto those who have smitten you, according to the voice of the Spirit which is in you, and all things shall work together for your good;

Therefore be faithful, and, behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end. Even so. Amen.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE SCOURGE OF ZION'S CAMP—JOSEPH AND HYRUM ATTACKED BY CHOLERA—THEIR DELIVERANCE—THE CAMP DISBANDED—THREATS AGAINST THE PROPHET—HIS FEARLESSNESS—JOSEPH RETURNS TO KIRTLAND—SYLVESTER SMITH'S CHARGE OF IMPURITY—THE PROPHET VINDICATED—VISIT TO MICHIGAN—THE LAW OF TITHING.

The scourge came as had been foretold, and the Camp of Zion felt its terrible effects. Moanings and lamentations filled the air. In the divine economy it is not unfrequently the case that the innocent suffer with the wrong-doers. "The Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that His justice and judgment may come upon the wicked." In this attack some faithful men fell victims under the awful power of this scourge, and the entire camp suffered more or less. In organized bodies of Saints experience has proved that it is not always the element which is guilty of transgression which alone has to endure the consequences, but the entire body which harbors or permits the impurity has to suffer. If it were not so, there would not be such imperative reason for a community to look well to the work of self-cleansing. It is when the judgment of Heaven falls upon the obedient as well as the careless and disobedient of any organization that the people are taught to strive unceasingly, not alone each for his own but all for the general purification. Some of the men who went down from Kirtland with Joseph and who had joined him on the road were among the noblest of human kind. They were of such exalted faith and courage that their righteous fame stands with that of the greatest disciples of old. They adhered to the Lord's commandments and to His prophet with all the fidelity of their souls. But other men—unjust, selfish, rebellious by nature—were also among the number of Zion's Camp; and as soon as they became wearied by hardships they betrayed their own lack of innate nobility. It was this latter class of men which brought affliction upon the Camp.

It was about the 22nd day of June, 1834, when the cholera appeared in Zion's Camp at Fishing River. During the next week it raged in the midst of the party. Sixty-eight of the Saints were attacked and thirteen of them died. Among the fatal cases was that of Algernon Sidney Gilbert, a man of talent and many good works, though not always able to subdue self. Just before the destroyer seized him, the Prophet called him to journey to Kirtland to receive there his endowments and from there to proclaim the everlasting gospel of redemption. Elder Gilbert's answer was: "I would rather die than go forth to preach the gospel to the Gentiles." When he thus answered the Prophet of God he was full of strength and health; but in a few hours after the scourge had breathed upon him he was dead. Joseph and Hyrum administered assiduously to the sick, and soon they were in the grasp of the cholera. They were together when it seized them; and together they knelt down and prayed for deliverance. Three times they bowed in supplication, the third time with a vow that they would not rise until deliverance from the destroyer was vouchsafed. While they were thus upon their knees a vision of comfort came to Hyrum. He saw their mother afar off in Kirtland praying for her absent sons, and he felt that the Lord was answering her cry. Hyrum told Joseph of the comforting vision and together they arose, made whole every whit. In ministering to their other brethren they discovered that to dip an afflicted person in cold water afforded great relief and this was practiced generally until the scourge had run its threatened course and had left the Camp.

During the days of the scourge the Prophet had moved his party from Fishing River. On the 23rd of June, they had reached within five or six miles of Liberty in Clay County, when General Atchison and several other persons went out from the town to meet the Prophet. They begged him not to go to Liberty as the people had become much enraged. Accepting the advice, Joseph turned from the road to Liberty and encamped on the banks of Rush Creek.

On the 25th of June the Prophet announced by letter to General Atchison and party, that he had concluded to disperse his company, in order to allay the prejudice and fear on the part of citizens of Clay County. He requested the gentlemen to whom his note was addressed to inform the Governor of the action thus taken; because the Prophet knew that Dunklin's ears were being filled with the most malicious rumors concerning the purpose entertained by Zion's Camp. In execution of his promise Joseph disbanded his party, and the brethren scattered themselves among the Saints of that region.

The next day a report was received from one S. C. Owens, a leader of the Jackson County mob, in which he declared that his people would not accept the proposition of the Saints—to buy the lands of the men who objected to the Saints returning to their homes in Jackson County—nor anything akin to it. He coolly recommended that the Saints "cast their eye" on a distant and uninhabited spot which he named, "to see if that was not a county calculated for them."

One appeal after another was being made to the Governor of the state; but so far as practical help was concerned, all were unanswered. Active hostilities in a general sense against the Saints had ceased for the time being, and there was some reason for hoping that they would be allowed to remain in Clay and surrounding regions. All the honest and fair-minded settlers in that land were forced to recognize the good qualities of the exiles from Jackson. The Saints were industrious, charitable and thrifty. Among them were no drunkenness, brawls nor crimes which too often gave a bad character to other border communities.

To this prospect of peace the Prophet's personality had greatly contributed. In all the march through Missouri his magnificent qualities had impressed themselves upon the people whom he met. His course had been that of a worthy leader among men. He had shown in all his intercourse with the inhabitants of Missouri the utmost courage and generosity. It was his nature to extend consideration and kindness towards others, and he was as regardful of the rights of his fellow-men at this time as always before and always after during his lifetime. The leading men of Clay County who were brought into contact with him felt that he possessed remarkable power. There was that in his dignified deportment and in the fearless glance of his blue eyes which warmed the souls of other men to his own, and they submitted to his charm of manner, even when they had come to oppose him. And when at last, to allay the fears of his avowed enemies, he dispersed his party, while surrounded by vindictive mobs who sought his life and the lives of his associates, he evinced a courage and a wisdom as grand as they were rare.

Jackson County was alive with men who had sworn to assassinate him if he ventured within their reach. What could have been more admirable than his noble disregard of all their threats! On the 1st of July, 1834, unattended, except by two or three personal friends, he crossed the Missouri River from Clay into Jackson County, visited Independence and saw all that goodly land which the Lord had promised as a Zion, but which now was under the desecration of murder, rapine and a veritable reign of terror.

He stood among the ruins of once peaceful homes and gazed upon once fruitful fields which wicked men had laid waste, and his great heart swelled nigh to bursting. Did any premonition come to him of that awful hour when he should next look upon these scenes; when in chains he should be carried through the streets of Independence, as captive kings of old were dragged at their victor's chariot wheels to make the populace shout with cruel joy! Well might Joseph, Prophet of God, have indescribable emotions as he gazed upon this spot, hallowed in his mind by so many tender recollections and so many promised glories. Mobs had done their work, Zion was desolate. Joseph himself was free. But the day was not far distant, when he should, as a captive, be brought to Independence and his enemies should gloat over the tortured hero and his pale but undaunted face.

The Prophet had gone to Independence without ostentation, but without fear. While he prayed there, the eyes of the wicked were blinded, that they knew him not; and when he returned to his brethren he was unscathed.

On the 3rd day of July, the Prophet organized a high council near Liberty, in Clay County, and for several days he was engaged in imparting instruction to the members of that body, and such others as desired to listen to his words of wisdom.

An appeal was made and published to the world regarding the grievances of the Saints, and asking for the restoration of their rights, and for the privilege to live in peace.

On the 9th day of July, Joseph, in company with his brother Hyrum and Frederick G. Williams and others, departed for Kirtland. Returning, the journey was as toilsome as at first. The distance to be traversed was one thousand miles, and but few of the comforts of civilization existed for them along the path. Heat, thirst, hunger and pain of body alike oppressed them and were alike endured with patient fortitude. About the 1st day of August Joseph reached his home.

In leaving the Saints in Missouri the Prophet had hoped that for a time, at least, they would be blessed with protection from their enemies, and that the brethren would be accorded the opportunity to gain a maintenance for their suffering wives and children. Although before he parted with them many appeals had been made for a restoration to their possessions in Jackson County, it is not probable that he entertained any hope that Governor Dunklin would accomplish such a courageous act. Joseph's subsequent zeal in building up Kirtland seems to indicate that he had prescience of the continued exile of the Church from the land of Zion.

Shortly after the Prophet's return to Kirtland, he submitted before the high council some charges which had been made against himself by one of the rebellious spirits in Zion's Camp. This man, Sylvester Smith, had become angered on the march by Joseph's rebukes, which were only uttered in kindness and to secure proper discipline and mutual concession and forbearance among the brethren; and in his rage Sylvester had declared that the Prophet was corrupt in his heart. The complaint made by Sylvester did not include any specific charge of impurity, and the Prophet might have passed it by without notice. But he wanted to teach the brethren that no man was above the law of God, and he cheerfully and patiently submitted to an investigation. It was made fairly and fully, with no undue favor to him; and the result was a complete vindication of the Prophet's character and eventually a confession by Sylvester Smith of his own injustice, wrong-doing and evil inspiration. Thus, by his own example, Joseph showed to his brethren the saintly course for the settlement of difficulties.

Joseph gave another evidence of his devotion to the work and his personal humility, at this time. Labor upon the house of the Lord in Kirtland was in progress, but the poverty of the people and the surrounding difficulties made the advancement very slow. Only thirty families of Saints were then resident in Kirtland, and the toil and self-denial of the little handful cannot be described. Joseph gave his services as foreman in the temple stone quarry, and labored day after day with his own hands in bringing out the materials for that important structure. At the same time Hyrum was showing similar evidence of his industry and meekness. It was he who lifted the first spadeful of earth for the foundation trench, and he continued from that time on to watch and work and pray for the success of this sacred undertaking.

Having placed all things in order in Kirtland for the progress of the Lord's house, Joseph departed on the 16th of October, 1834, with his brother Hyrum and others to visit the Saints in the state of Michigan. They went by water, and on board the steamer they met a man who called himself Elmer. Not knowing who they were, in the course of conversation he said: "I am personally acquainted with Joe Smith; I have heard him preach his lies, and now since he is dead I am glad. I heard Joe Smith preach in Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York, five years ago, and knew him because he had such a dark complexion." Then he continued his exultations at the supposed death of the Prophet. This is an illustration of the malice and ignorance which prevailed at that time. Joseph was not dead; his complexion was not dark; he had never been in Bainbridge. Elmer had probably heard the tirade of some sectarian minister against Joseph Smith and thought he was praising God when he lied about the Prophet, and that he was doing Christ's service by exulting in his supposed death.

After preaching to the Michigan Saints for a brief time and giving and receiving comfort in their society, Joseph and his companions returned to Kirtland, reaching there about the last of October. During the month of November with so many labors upon his hands Joseph found every moment of time occupied. He was able to accomplish prodigious labors, because he obeyed the rule which he had established over his life and which he tersely states:

"WHEN THE LORD COMMANDS, DO IT."

His scrupulous regard for the interests of others is shown by a circumstance which occurred during the last of November, 1834. Some brethren and sisters representing a branch of the Church in the east called at Kirtland. They had in their possession means with which to purchase lands in Zion; but in view of the action of mobs and the inaction of officials, they could not well proceed to Missouri. The money was offered to the Church in Kirtland, or to Joseph as its President; but as this was not the purpose for which the means had been donated, he would only take it in trust to be paid back with interest in the ensuing spring; and he gave proper security for the fulfillment of these conditions. The means thus obtained was not devoted to his personal use, but was entirely employed in the furtherance of Church works.

It was with the close of 1834 that a pledge of tithing was first given, and the custom now in force was begun, the doctrine having been foreshadowed in previous revelations from the Almighty. The principle of tithing as now practiced very properly begun with the Prophet. On the 29th day of November, 1834, Joseph united in prayer with Oliver Cowdery for a continuation of divine blessings; and being filled with joy on this occasion, they entered into a covenant with the Lord as follows:

"That if the Lord will prosper us in our business, and open the way before us, that we may obtain means to pay our debts, that we be not troubled nor brought into disrepute before the world, nor His people; after that, of all that He shall give us, we will give a tenth, to be bestowed upon the poor in His Church, or as He shall command; and that we will be faithful over that which He has entrusted to our care, that we may obtain much; and that our children after us, shall remember to observe this sacred and holy covenant; and that our children and our children's children may know of the same, we have subscribed our names with our own hands.

"JOSEPH SMITH,

"OLIVER COWDERY.

"And now, O Father, as thou didst prosper our father Jacob, and bless him with protection and prosperity wherever he went, from the time he made a like covenant before and with thee; as thou didst, even the same night, open the heavens unto him, and manifest great mercy and power, and give him promises, so wilt thou do with us his sons; and as his blessings prevailed above his progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, even so may our blessings prevail like his; and may thy servants be preserved from the power and influence of wicked and unrighteous men; may every weapon formed against us fall upon the head of him who shall form it; may we be blessed with a name and a place among the Saints here, and thy sanctified when they shall rest. Amen."

CHAPTER XXX.

THE CALLING OF CHRIST'S APOSTLES IN THE LAST DISPENSATION OF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES—DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE TWELVE—THEIR LABORS IN THE WORLD—ORGANIZATION OF THE SEVENTIES.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

St. Matthew.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

* * * * *

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death,

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

* * * * *

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

St. Luke.

Our Lord and Master had His twelve special witnesses to the world when His gospel was offered to all mankind eighteen centuries ago. And so, in the re-establishment of the Church in this dispensation, Twelve Apostles were called and ordained to be witnesses of Christ, crucified and risen, and of Christ's gospel brought forth through the darkness of ages and now restored to stand forever.

The power, authority and scope of this Apostleship are shown in the revelation given to the Prophet in Kirtland in the early part of the year 1835:

The Twelve traveling counselors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world.

* * * * *

And they form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three Presidents [the first presidency].

The Twelve are a traveling presiding High Council to officiate in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, agreeable to the institution of heaven; to build up the Church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations;

* * * * *

The Twelve being sent out, holding the keys, to open the door by the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ—and first unto the Gentiles and then unto the Jews.

* * * * *

It is the duty of the Twelve, also, to ordain and set in order all the other officers of the Church, agreeable to the revelation.

On the Sabbath day, February 8th, 1835, Joseph invited Brigham and Joseph Young to his home and listened to some of their sweetest hymns. They were always noted for the excellence of their singing; but on this occasion with such wondrous power did their voices swell that the Prophet was lifted up in his soul and felt the Holy Spirit descending upon them. Joseph had seen in vision the brethren who had died of cholera in Missouri; and he related the vision to his visitors, saying: "If I get a mansion as bright as theirs, I shall ask no more." He wept at the recital, and could not speak again for some moments. When his composure returned, he told Brigham that he should be one of the twelve special witnesses, and said to Joseph Young: "The Lord has made you president of the Seventies." Neither of the Brothers Young fully understood the Prophet's meaning at that time, but later they learned.

On the 14th day of February, 1835, the Prophet called an assemblage at Kirtland of all the men who had formed the Camp of Zion. He said to call this meeting he had been directed by the Almighty. The Elders who had passed through the trials and sufferings of the journey to Zion were to be ordained to the ministry to go forth and prune the vineyard for the last time before the coming of the Lord. Twelve men were to be chosen as Apostles to bear testimony of the name of the Lord Jesus and to send it abroad among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.

Under the hands of the Prophet the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were blessed by the direction of the Holy Spirit to choose the Twelve Apostles of the Church. The men thus selected were all equal in authority, but in a later time the Prophet designated the order in which they should sit in council—that is, according to age the eldest first. And under this rule the first quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in these last days were: Thomas B. Marsh, David W. Patten, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, William E. McLellin, Parley P. Pratt, Luke Johnson, William Smith, Orson Pratt, John F. Boynton, and Lyman E. Johnson.

The Apostles had their mission of salvation divinely dictated unto them. How they have fulfilled its requirements, let answer the thousands from every continent and every isle of the sea who have heard the message in their native tongues!

It was the work which was great and which conferred greatness upon those who engaged in it. The world has never understood this. To man has been attributed the success which has attended the system of religion which Joseph Smith was the chosen earthly instrument to found. Joseph himself had a wonderful personality; and it was the custom to give him credit for the early growth of the Church numerically; and to ascribe its spread and the devotion of its adherents to his individual power of attraction. But he did not so esteem himself; and the work which the apostles have performed is proof that it is the Holy Spirit which animates and the Holy Spirit which convinces.

To the Twelve it was not only a call to the ministry; for some of them it was also a call to martyrdom.

Of the disciples chosen then and of those since selected to keep the quorum complete, not one has escaped the afflictions of time.

With some the pains were too intense to be endured, the burdens too heavy to be borne; and they dropped aside from the on-marching ranks to find, as they hoped, repose and safety amidst the cooling shadows of that world from which they had been chosen to be special witnesses of the Son of God. Such are no longer His Apostles.

But the others, with unshaken resoluteness, have gone forward in fulfillment of their high mission, under the scorching heat of fiery persecution. Joseph is their captain and their fellow soldier in the cause of Christ. With him and after him many of them have, with continuous and unyielding zeal, toiled steadily on until worn out in the performance of the duty assigned them by their Master Jesus; they have passed to the enjoyment of His promised rest. With Him they and the other faithful Apostles will stand triumphant when human time shall be no more, and when the voice of the Eternal shall fill the universe with the thunder of His judgments. They shall not then be only twelve; for they who have been called of God to this holy calling and who endure faithful, though they may lay down their mortality, yet shall they not lose their Apostleship; for it abideth with them in this world and in the worlds to come.

To proclaim the truth in all the earth for a witness, requires not only willingness but also numerical strength. And so the Seventies were called by divine revelation. They are to preach the gospel and to be special witnesses unto the Gentiles, and in all the world; they are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve, in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations—first unto the Gentiles and then unto the Jews.

And they form a quorum equal in authority to that of the Twelve * * * Apostles.

On the 28th day of February, 1835, the Church in council assembled began the calling of the quorum of Seventies from the members of Zion's Camp, and this devoted organization of the Seventies speedily engaged in its appointed labors.

Thus was the Prophet blessed with efficient aids selected by the Spirit of God.

One day when Joseph had assembled the Elders in Kirtland, soon after the establishment of the quorums of Twelve and Seventy, he said to them that the test had been made, the purpose of the journey to Missouri was now clear, and God had chosen his Twelve and Seventy from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.

CHAPTER XXXI.

JOSEPH AS A RESTORER AS WELL AS A PROPHET—THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM—JOSEPH'S GROWTH INTO SCHOLARSHIP AND STATESMANSHIP—DIFFICULTIES WITH WILLIAM SMITH.

Joseph Smith was not only a prophet but a reformer—as able as Luther, as bold as Zwingli. And he was more than a reformer. He was a restorer—the greatest in his personality and in the character of his work since the day of the divine atonement.

Through him even the buried past reaches up to the listening present, and the distant future bends down to this gazing age. His work in revealing hidden truths spans the circle of all earthly time—stretching from the decree by which the world was rolled into space unto the moment when it shall become a purified and exalted sphere. This comprehension was the divine gift to the predestined martyr.

Through him had been revealed the hidden truths concerning prehistoric America. From the hour when Joseph gave to the world the Book of Mormon, all ignorance concerning the ancient inhabitants of this land became wilful. Then his labor of restoration reached another hemisphere and a remoter time.

Abraham, the friend of God, Abraham who died thirty-six centuries ago, Abraham who was buried in the cave of Machpelah, spoke through the modern prophet, his descendant; and the manner of that communication so manifestly shows the overruling hand of Providence that no one can doubt the divine direction.

While Joseph had been laboring in Kirtland, journeying to and from Missouri, teaching his brethren and being taught of God, there were moving to him from one of the catacombs of Egypt the writings of Father Abraham and of Joseph who was governor in Egypt.

On the 7th day of June, 1831, a French traveler and explorer penetrated the depths of a catacomb near the site of ancient Thebes. It had cost him time and treasure and influence to make the entrance. After securing the license to make his researches, he employed more than four hundred men for a period of some months to make the necessary excavation. When he was able at last to stand within this multiplied tomb he found several hundred mummies; but only eleven of them were in such a state that they could be removed. He carried them away, but died on his voyage to Paris. By his will the mummies were bequeathed to Michael H. Chandler, his nephew, and in search of this gentleman they were sent through Ireland and finally across the sea. After two years of wanderings they found their owner. Hoping to discover some treasure of precious stones or metals, Mr. Chandler opened the coffins or embalming cases. Attached to two of the bodies were rolls of linen preserved with the same care and apparently by the same method as the bodies. Within the linen coverings were rolls of papyrus bearing a perfectly preserved record in black and red characters carefully formed. With other of the bodies were papyrus strips bearing epitaphs and astronomical calculations. The learned men of Philadelphia and other places flocked to see these representatives of an ancient time, and Mr. Chandler solicited their translation of some of the characters. Even the wisest among them were only able to interpret the meaning of a few of the signs. From the very moment when he discovered the rolls, Mr. Chandler had heard that a Prophet lived in the west who could decipher strange languages and reveal things hidden; and after failing with all the learned, and having parted with seven of the mummies and some few strips of papyrus, bearing astronomical figures, he finally reached Kirtland and presented himself to Joseph with the four remaining bodies, and with the rolls of manuscript. The Prophet, under inspiration of the Almighty, interpreted some of the ancient writings to Mr. Chandler's satisfaction. So far as the learned men of Philadelphia had been able to translate, Joseph's work coincided with theirs; but he went much further, and in his delight Mr. Chandler wrote a letter to the Prophet certifying to this effect.

Later some of the friends of the Prophet purchased the four mummies, with the writings. Joseph engaged assiduously to interpret from the rolls and strips of papyrus. The result of his labor was to give the world a translation of the Book of Abraham. This book was written by the hand of Abraham while he was in Egypt, and was preserved by the marvelous dispensation of Providence, through all the mutations of time and dangers of distance, to reach the hand of God's Prophet in this last dispensation. By this record the Father of the Faithful makes known what the Lord Almighty had shown to him concerning the things that were before the world was; and he declares that he did penetrate the mysteries of the heavens even unto Kolob, the star which is nearest the throne of God the Eternal One.

In the record of Joseph who was sold into Egypt is given a prophetic representation of the judgment, the Savior is shown seated upon His throne, crowned and holding the sceptres of righteousness and power; before Him are assembled the Twelve Tribes of Israel and all the kingdoms of the world; while Michael the Archangel holds the key to the bottomless pit in which Satan has been chained.

At the time when Joseph, aided by the inspiration of the Almighty, was enabled to make these translations, he was studying ancient languages and the grandest sciences, while he was also imparting instruction in the school of the brethren in Kirtland, that others than himself might have their minds fitted to grasp the sublimities of truth in theology and history and the laws governing the universe. Joseph was now in his thirtieth year and was no longer an unlearned farmer lad. He was the leader of the people by the command of heaven, and he was the leader of the people by his growing intellectual greatness. The Prophet had already become a scholar. He loved learning. He loved knowledge for its righteous power. Through the tribulations which had surrounded him from the day when first he made known to a skeptical world his communion with the heavens, he had been ever advancing in the acquisition of intelligence. The Lord had commanded him to study, and he was obeying. Such branches of learning as he knew not, teachers were employed to communicate. His mind, quickened by the Holy Spirit, grasped with readiness all true principles, and one by one he mastered these branches and became in them a teacher.

Joseph Smith was the head of a committee which had been appointed in September, 1834, to compile the doctrines of the Church for publication. And in Kirtland, at a general assembly held on the 17th day of August, 1835, that committee reported by presenting the book of Doctrine and Covenants to the Church for the approval of the congregation. Solemn testimonies were given of the truth of the work and of the inspiration by which Joseph Smith had uttered the revelations from on high. The testimony of the Twelve on this subject closed as follows:

The Lord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth upon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily true. We give this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper: and it is through the grace of God, the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, that we are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world, in the which we rejoice exceedingly, praying the Lord always, that the children of men may be profited thereby.

At the same time there was presented and accepted the tenet of the Church concerning government and laws in which the following passages occur, showing that thus early in his career the Prophet's mind was trained in true statesmanship and social philosophy:

We believe that governments are instituted of God for the benefit of man, and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws or administering them, for the good and safety of society.

* * * * * * *

We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

* * * * * * *

We believe that religion is instituted of God, and that men are answerable to Him, and Him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

* * * * * * *

We believe that rulers, states, and governments have a right, and are bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they have a right in justice, to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe them in their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence is shown to the laws, and such religious opinions do not justify sedition nor conspiracy.

* * * * * * *

We do not believe it is just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered, and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members as citizens denied.

The Prophet was not present at the assembly, as he was visiting Saints in Michigan; but his hand was manifest in its proceedings, for he had all the time led in preparing the book for presentation to the Church.

With his staunch advocacy of truth, and his unyielding adherence to the commandments of God, Joseph was ever merciful to the weak and the erring. During the summer of 1835, he was laboring in councils and meetings in Kirtland and vicinity, and was chosen to take part in the proceedings against several members who were to be tried for utterances made against the Presidency of the Church. Whether it fell to his lot to plead the cause of the accused or to prosecute, though he himself might have been the one who was wronged, he acted with so much tenderness and justice that he won the love of all.

At this time he labored under serious financial distress. The performance of the work laid upon him demanded many expenditures, and often it seemed that he would be involved in inextricable embarrassment. But the way was constantly opened to him. His brethren were kind and charitable, many of them presenting him or loaning him sums sufficient for the performance of his labors and to meet all his engagements; and all of these he blessed with the gratitude of his soul, and was especially scrupulous to pay at the time agreed upon.

Joseph was a dutiful son; his strong affection for his parents was ever a marked feature in his character. In the early part of October, 1835, his father was ill; and, though the Prophet was performing wearisome toil in traveling, preaching and other duties—exposed to chilling storms—he watched and waited on his parent with the utmost humility and tenderness. On the 10th day of October, the elder Joseph was failing very fast, so much that his life was despaired of. The Prophet prayed in secret most earnestly that his father's life might be spared, and on the morning of Sunday, the 11th of October, while he was still upon his knees, the Lord said to him:

"MY SERVANT, THY FATHER SHALL LIVE."

That night Father Smith arose and dressed himself and shouted and praised the Lord for his recovery.

One of the most sorrowful passages in the Prophet's life opens with the 29th day of October, 1835. Joseph's brother William was a man of violent temper which he had not then nor ever afterwards subdued. Though not destitute of qualities, which, if properly used, would have made him a useful and noble man, he was willful and headstrong, and so impatient of contradiction and rebuke that he often forgot his own high station as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and forgot the kindness of his brother Joseph and the deference due him as a prophet of God. On the day mentioned, at a high council meeting, William abused Joseph in violent terms because of a just ruling made by the Prophet. The noble and faithful Hyrum, their elder brother, admonished William, but without avail. He left the building and soon after engaged in circulating evil reports against the Prophet. Every effort was made by his friends to correct the wrong and to bring him to a sense of his position. He made an outward show of humility; but took an early occasion when the Prophet was a guest at his house to assault him with such violence that the effects were carried by Joseph to his grave.

Satan was indeed trying the Lord's chosen one. At home or abroad he was fated to have afflictions showered upon his devoted head. But of all the woes of his persecuted life, not one could have been more saddening to him than these attacks by his own brother in the flesh.

The Prophet harbored no malice; but with the humility and the godliness which permeated all his intercourse with his fellow-men he freely forgave William. Such effect did the Prophet's kindness have upon William that he repented and expressed his contrition with great sincerity and earnestness. A reconciliation took place at which Father Smith and his brother John, with Hyrum, Joseph and William were present. The elder Joseph addressed them all in a pathetic manner, so much so that they wept. They all covenanted at that time to endeavor to build each other up in righteousness. Happy would it have been for William if he had then taken the advice of the Prophet and his father; but he violated his word, despised their counsel, and fell from his high estate.

Not only did Joseph show tenderness in his dealings with his brother, but also with others of the Twelve. When Thomas B. Marsh, the president of the Twelve Apostles, complained that the Prophet in chastening them for the wrong-doing of some of their number had used harsh language, the Prophet readily begged their forgiveness if he had pained their feelings. And by his noble conduct he brought about a restoration of harmony and fellowship. If his brethren of the Twelve had all been as mindful of the rule of righteousness as Joseph himself, the dissensions in that quorum which cost some of its brightest members their standing would not have occurred.

CHAPTER XXXII.

COMPLETION AND DEDICATION OF THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE—SUBLIME VISIONS TO THE SAINTS—THE WORDS OF THE DIVINE REDEEMER—JOSEPH'S GRANDMOTHER VISITS HIM, THEN DIES IN PEACE—HIS MISSION TO THE EAST.

The building of the Kirtland temple was accomplished by the utmost self-sacrifice. Nearly three years had been occupied in its construction; and during this time the Saints had given of their substance and had toiled without ceasing to make a habitation fit for the ministration of angelic visitants and of the Holy One, Himself. The consummation of this work had been very near to the Prophet's heart, especially since the tribulations in Missouri had shown that no house of the Lord could be erected speedily in the center stake of Zion.

Wondrous were the visions bestowed in that sacred edifice. Previous to its completion the glories of the heavens had been unfolded to the Prophet and his brethren while administering in the ordinances there. On the 21st of January, 1836, Joseph met with Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams, and his father, Patriarch Joseph Smith, Sen., at one of the finished school-rooms in the building to anoint their heads with holy oil. They united in anointing and blessing the Prophet's father as the Patriarch and to anoint their heads; and each of the First Presidency was then anointed and blessed under the hands of Father Smith. While they were engaged in this labor marvelous visions and revelations were bestowed.

The Prophet says:

The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire; also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold. I saw fathers Adam and Abraham, and my father and mother, my brother Alvin, who has long since slept, and wondered how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.

Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying:

All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of our God; also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom, for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desires of their hearts.

Many other things did the Prophet see and hear. He beheld that all children who died before reaching years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of our God. A holy comfort this, which takes the place of all the black threats concerning infantile damnation. He saw the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb in foreign lands, standing in a circle, with their clothes tattered and their feet swollen, with their eyes cast downward, and Jesus was standing in their midst, but they did not behold Him, and the Savior looked upon them and wept. Those of the brethren who received the ordinances at this time saw most glorious visions. Some of them beheld the face of their Redeemer; others were ministered unto by holy angels; the spirit of prophecy and revelation was poured out in mighty power; and loud hosannas saluted the heavens from those who were communing with the sanctified hosts of the celestial kingdom.

On other occasions, before the entire structure was completed and dedicated, similar visitations came to manifest the power of God and His gracious acceptance of this devoted labor.

On the morning of Sunday, March 27th, 1836, the first temple ever built in this dispensation by the command of God, was dedicated to His service. A large assemblage of the Saints had congregated in the building. Joseph presided, and he was supported by the Priesthood. The Prophet himself made the dedicatory prayer, which he closed in the following words:

Hear us, O Lord, And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto Thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto Thy name!

And also this Church, to put upon it Thy name; and help us, by the power of Thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright shining seraphs around Thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing, Hosanna to God and the Lamb.

And let these Thine anointed ones be clothed with salvation, and Thy Saints shout aloud for joy. Amen, and Amen.

Joseph was acknowledged by the several quorums, standing upon their feet, as the Prophet and Seer of the Church, and they gave a solemn pledge to uphold him as such by their faith and prayers. This action was also ratified by the entire congregation of the Saints in the same manner. The Prophet then called upon the quorums and the congregation to acknowledge the other members of the First Presidency and the several quorums in their offices and callings, and the vote was unanimous in every instance.

After the administration of the Lord's Supper and the expression of many solemn testimonies, the dedication was sealed by shouting Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb, three times sealing it, each time with Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Brigham Young had the gift of tongues powerfully upon him and made an address, which David W. Patten interpreted. Then the Prophet made a short exhortation also in tongues, and afterward blessed the congregation in the name of the Lord, and the assembly dispersed.

The same evening the Prophet met the quorums in the temple. Brother George A. Smith stood up and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of a mighty rushing wind which filled the building. All the congregation rose in an instant, being moved upon by an invisible power. Many began to speak in tongues and prophesy, others saw glorious visions. The temple was filled with angels. People from the neighborhood came running toward the temple, having heard an unusual sound and seen a brilliant light like a pillar of fire rising above the structure. These spectators were amazed at what they saw and heard.

On the 29th of March the Prophet met with many of the brethren in the most holy place in the Lord's house and fasted and prayed and performed sacred ordinances. In obedience to the commandment, they remained together throughout that whole day and the succeeding night. While they were there the Holy Spirit rested upon them; and they continued, until the morning light broke, to prophesy and give glory to God. The same services were repeated the day following.

Joseph said to the quorums that he had now completed the organization of the Church, having passed through all the necessary ceremonies, and that they were at liberty to go forth and build up the kingdom of God. At nine o'clock in the evening he retired from the temple and left the meeting in charge of the Twelve Apostles, who remained to prophesy and speak in tongues until again the morning dawned. During the night the Savior appeared with a host of ministering angels. The Prophet said that it was a Pentecost long to be remembered, for the sound should go forth from that place unto all the world.

The next day, Thursday, March 31st, the ceremonies in the temple were repeated for the benefit of those Saints who could not find room in the house on the preceding Sabbath.

On Sunday, the 3rd day of April, 1836, after the regular service of the day, the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery retired to the pulpit and dropped the veils by which it was separated from the body of the house, and bowed in solemn and silent prayer. After rising, a vision of supernal sublimity and beauty was opened to the eyes of their understanding. They saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, and under his feet they saw a paved work of pure gold in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of His head was white like the pure snow, His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and His voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father;

Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore lift up your heads and rejoice.

Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have with their might built this house to my name.

For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house;

Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.

Yea, the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house;

And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands, and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.

This vision closed, and then the heavens were again opened. Moses appeared and committed unto them the keys of the gathering of Israel. After this came Elias, who gave to them the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham. When this vision had closed, Elijah, the prophet who was taken to heaven without tasting death, appeared unto them, testifying that the time had fully come which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi concerning the coming of Elijah—before the great and dreadful day of the Lord—to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, lest the earth should be smitten with a curse.

During several weeks following the dedication of the temple the Prophet and his associates were constantly engaged in measures for the spiritual advancement of the people and with the building up of Kirtland. A comforting thing came to Joseph at that time. It was in the month of May, 1836, when his uncles Asael and Silas Smith arrived in Kirtland with their families, bringing with them the Prophet's grandmother, Mary Smith. This noble woman was ninety-three years of age; she was the widow of Asael Smith, who had prophesied concerning the coming forth of Joseph and who had lived to accept the Book of Mormon. The aged Mary had traveled five hundred miles to see her grandson, the Prophet. For ten days all her relatives in Kirtland enjoyed the pleasure of her presence, and then she gently fell asleep in death.

On the 25th day of July, 1836, the Prophet departed with his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery, on a mission to the Eastern states. He labored diligently in the vicinity of Salem in Massachusetts, and while there received a revelation in which the Lord declared that many people from that part would in His due time be gathered out to journey to Zion.

Joseph returned to Kirtland in the month of September.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CLAY COUNTY SORROWFULLY BIDS THE SAINTS TO MIGRATE INTO THE WILDERNESS—JOSEPH SENDS A DIGNIFIED LETTER TO THE CITIZENS— CONTINUANCE OF MOB AUTOCRACY IN JACKSON—DUNKLIN'S HELPLESSNESS—THE SAINTS FORM THE NEW COUNTY OF CALDWELL AND LAY OUT FAR WEST.

They were eastern men, whose manners, habits, customs, and even dialect, are essentially different from our own. They are non-slaveholders, and opposed to slavery, which in this peculiar period, when Abolitionism has reared its deformed and haggard visage in our land, is well calculated to excite deep and abiding prejudices in any community where slavery is tolerated and protected.

This was the complaint raised against the Saints in Clay County on the 29th day of June, 1836, by a mass meeting of leading citizens who assembled at Liberty.

It will be remembered that when the mob had accomplished its awful work in Jackson County, the persecuted Saints had sought and found a temporary refuge in Clay. During all the intervening time of nearly three years, constant efforts had been made to secure a restoration of the Saints to their lawful possessions at Independence and vicinity; but all in vain, for the mob power triumphed over law, and murderous rapine still trampled upon law and justice.

Clay County had been the only one to show any available hospitality toward the plundered ones. But now the time had come when a feeling of self-preservation, as they called it, prompted the citizens of even this charitable region to send the Saints forth to renewed wandering.

The measures adopted were not intentionally cruel; it is pitiable even at this hour to read the resolutions of the mass meeting which decreed this exile; they show that the men who forced them were sinning against their own sense of justice, but for the sake of their own families and property.

At the meeting at Liberty, John Bird was chosen chairman, and John F. Doherty secretary. The recorded minutes of that assemblage state that the reasons given in the opening of this chapter, with other similar causes, "have raised a feeling of hostility" against the Saints "that the first spark might ignite into all the horrors and desolations of a civil war, the worst evil that could befall any country."

Continuing, the document says:

We therefore feel it our duty to come forward, as mediators, and use every means in our power to prevent the occurrence of so great an evil. As the most efficacious means to arrest the evil, we urge on the Mormons to use every means to put an immediate stop to the emigration of their people to this country. We earnestly urge them to seek some other abiding place, where the manners, the habits and customs of the people will be more consonant with their own.

For this purpose we would advise them to explore the territory of Wisconsin. This country is peculiarly suited to their condition and to their wants. It is almost entirely unsettled; they can procure large bodies of land together, where there are no settlements, and none to interfere with them. It is a territory in which slavery is prohibited, and it is settled entirely with emigrants from the north and east.

The religious tenets of this people are so different from the present churches of the age, that they always have, and always will excite deep prejudices against them in any populous country where they may locate. We, therefore, in a spirit of frank and friendly kindness, do advise them to seek a home where they may obtain large and separate bodies of land, and have a community of their own. We further say to them, if they regard their own safety and welfare, if they regard the welfare of their families, their wives and children, they will ponder with deep and solemn reflection on this friendly admonition.

If they have one spark of gratitude, they will not willingly plunge a people into civil war, who held out to them the friendly hand of assistance in that hour of dark distress, when there were few to say, God save them. We can only say to them, if they still persist in the blind course they have heretofore followed in flooding the country with their people, that we fear and firmly believe that an immediate civil war is the inevitable consequence. We know that there is not one among us who thirsts for the blood of that people.

We do not contend that we have the least right, under the Constitution and laws of the country, to expel them by force. But we would indeed be blind, if we did not foresee that the first blow that is struck, at this moment of deep excitement, must and will speedily involve every individual in a war, bearing ruin, woe and desolation in its course. It matters but little how, where, or by whom, the war may begin, when the work of destruction commences, we must all be borne onward by the storm, or crushed beneath its fury. In a civil war, when our home is the theatre on which it is fought, there can be no neutrals; let our opinions be what they may, we must fight in self-defense.

We want nothing, we ask nothing, we would have nothing from this people, we only ask them, for their own safety, and for ours, to take the least of two evils. Most of them are destitute of land, have but little property, are late emigrants to this country, without relations, friends, or endearing ties, to bind them to this land. At the risk of such imminent peril to them and to us, we request them to leave us, when their crops are gathered, their business settled, and they have made every suitable preparation to remove. Those who have forty acres of land, we are willing should remain until they can dispose of it without loss, if it should require years. But we urge, most strongly urge, that emigration cease, and cease immediately, as nothing else can or will allay for a moment, the deep excitement that is now unhappily agitating this community.

* * * * * * *

That if the Mormons agree to these propositions, we will use every means in our power to allay the excitement among our own citizens, and to get them to await the result of these things.

That it is the opinion of this meeting that the recent emigration among the Mormons should take measures to leave this county immediately, as they have no crops on hand, and nothing to lose by continuing their journey to some more friendly land.

This paper had the unanimous support of the meeting, and when this decree, mingling the sorrow of humane men with the cruel necessity of what seemed self-preservation, was entered, the meeting adjourned for three days. In the meantime a committee named in the resolution was to confer with the leaders of the Saints and obtain their reply.

When the Prophet heard of this new mandate of banishment he was on the eve of starting from Kirtland upon his journey to the east; but before going he forwarded a letter signed by himself, his counselors, his brother Hyrum, and Oliver Cowdery, to the committee of citizens at Liberty entrusted with the promulgation of the order of exile, in which letter the following passages occur:

Under existing circumstances, while rumor is afloat with her accustomed cunning, and while public opinion is fast setting, like a flood-tide against the members of said Church, we cannot but admire the candor with which your preamble and resolutions were clothed, as presented to the meeting of the citizens of Clay County, on the 29th of June last. Though, as you expressed in your report to said meeting—"We do not contend that we have the least right, under the constitution and laws of the country, to expel them by force,"—yet communities may be, at times, unexpectedly thrown into a situation, when wisdom, prudence, and that first item in nature's law, self-defense, would dictate that the responsible and influential part should step forward and guide the public mind in a course to save difficulty, preserve rights, and spare the innocent blood from staining that soil so dearly purchased with the fortunes and lives of our fathers. And as you have come forward as "mediators," to prevent the effusion of blood, and save disasters consequent upon civil war, we take this opportunity to present to you, though strangers, and through you, if you wish, to the people of Clay County, our heartfelt gratitude for every kindness rendered our friends in affliction, when driven from their peaceful homes, and to yourselves, also, for the prudent course in the present excited state of your community. But, in doing this, justice to ourselves, as communicants of that Church to which our friends belong, and duty towards them as acquaintances and former fellow citizens, require us to say something to exonerate them from the foul charges brought against them, to deprive them of their constitutional privileges, and drive them from the face of society:

They have been charged in consequence of the whims and vain notions of some few uninformed, with claiming that upper country, and that ere long they were to possess it, at all hazards, and in defiance of all consequences. This is unjust and far from a foundation in truth. A thing not expected, not looked for, not desired by this society, as a people, and where the idea could have originated is unknown to us. We do not, neither did we ever insinuate a thing of this kind, or hear it from the leading men of the society, now in your country. There is nothing in our religious faith to warrant it, but on the contrary, the most strict injunctions to live in obedience to the laws, and follow peace with all men. And we doubt not, but a recurrence to the Jackson County difficulties, with our friends, will fully satisfy you, that at least, heretofore, such has been the course followed by them. That instead of fighting for their own rights, they have sacrificed them for a season, to wait the redress guaranteed in the law, and so anxiously looked for at a time distant from this. We have been, and are still, clearly under the conviction, that had our friends been disposed, they might have maintained their possessions in Jackson County. They might have resorted to the same barbarous means with their neighbors, throwing down dwellings, threatening lives, driving innocent women and children from their homes, and thereby have annoyed their enemies equally, at least—but this to their credit, and which must ever remain upon the pages of time, to their honor—they did not. They had possessions, they had homes, they had sacred rights, and more still, they had helpless, harmless innocence, with an approving conscience that they had violated no law of their country or their God, to urge them forward—but, to show to all that they were willing to forego these for the peace of their country, they tamely submitted, and have since been wanderers among strangers (though hospitable) without homes. We think these sufficient reasons to show to your patriotic minds, that our friends, instead of having a wish to expel a community by force of arms, would suffer their rights to be taken from them before shedding blood.

* * * * * * *

Another charge of great magnitude is brought against our friends in the west—of "keeping up a constant communication with the Indian tribes on our frontier, with declaring, even from the pulpit, that the Indians are a part of God's chosen people, and are destined, by heaven, to inherit this land, in common with themselves." We know of nothing, under the present aspect of our Indian relations, calculated to rouse the fears of the people of the upper Missouri, more than a combination or influence of this nature; and we cannot look upon it other than one of the most subtle purposes of those whose feelings are embittered against our friends, to turn the eye of suspicion upon them from every man who is acquainted with the barbarous cruelty of rude savages. Since a rumor was afloat that the western Indians were showing signs of war, we have received frequent private letters from our friends, who have not only expressed fears for their own safety, in case the Indians should break out, but a decided determination to be among the first to repel any invasion, and defend the frontier from all hostilities. We mention the last fact, because it was wholly uncalled for on our part, and came previous to any excitement on the part of the people of Clay County, against our friends, and must definitely show, that this charge is also untrue.

Another charge against our friends, and one that is urged as a reason why they must immediately leave the county of Clay, is, that they are making or are likely to make, the same "their permanent home, the center and general rendezvous of their people." We have never understood such to be the purpose, wish or design of this society; but on the contrary, have ever supposed, that those who ever resided in Clay County, only designed it as a temporary residence, until the law and authority of our country should put them in the quiet possession of their homes in Jackson County; and such as had not possessions there, could purchase to the entire satisfaction and interest of the people of Jackson County.

Having partially mentioned the leading objections urged against our friends, we would here add, that it has not been done with a view on our part, to dissuade you from acting in strict conformity with your preamble and resolutions, offered to the people of Clay County, on the 29th ult., but from a sense of duty to a people embarrassed, persecuted and afflicted. For you are aware, gentlemen, that in times of excitement, virtues are transformed into vices, acts, which in other cases and under other circumstances, would be considered upright and honorable, interpreted contrary from their real intent, are made objectionable and criminal; and from whom could we look for forbearance and compassion with confidence and assurance, more than from those whose bosoms are warmed with those pure principles of patriotism with which you have been guided in the present instance, to secure the peace of your county, and save a persecuted people from further violence and destruction?

It is said that our friends are poor; that they have but little or nothing to bind their feelings or wishes to Clay County, and that in consequence, have a less claim upon that county. We do not deny the fact, that our friends are poor; but their persecutions have helped to render them so. While other men were peacefully following their avocations, and extending their interest, they have been deprived of the right of citizenship, prevented from enjoying their own, charged with violating the sacred principles of our constitution and laws; made to feel the keenest aspersions of the tongue of slander, waded through all but death, and are now suffering under calumnies calculated to excite the indignation and hatred of every people among whom they may dwell, thereby exposing them to destruction and inevitable ruin!

If a people, a community, or a society can accumulate wealth, increase in worldly fortune, improve in science and arts, rise to eminence in the eyes of the public, surmount these difficulties, so much as to bid defiance to poverty and wretchedness, it must be a new creation, a race of beings superhuman. But in all their poverty and want, we have yet to learn, for the first time, that our friends are not industrious and temperate, and wherein they have not always been the last to retaliate or resent an injury, and the first to overlook and forgive. We do not urge that there are not exceptions to be found: all communities, all societies and associations, are cumbered with disorderly and less virtuous members—members who violate in a greater or less degree the principles of the same. But this can be no just criterion by which to judge a whole society. And further still, where a people are laboring under constant fear of being dispossessed very little inducement is held out to excite them to be industrious.

We think, gentlemen, that we have pursued this subject far enough, and we here express to you, as we have in a letter accompanying this, to our friends, our decided disapprobation to the idea of shedding blood, if any other course can be followed to avoid it; in which case, and which alone, we have urged upon our friends to resist only in extreme cases of self-defense; and in this case not to give the offense or provoke their fellow-men to acts of violence,—which we have no doubt they will observe, as they ever have. For you may rest assured, gentlemen, that we would be the last to advise our friends to shed the blood of men, or commit one act to endanger the public peace.

We have no doubt but our friends will leave your county, sooner or later,—they have not only signified the same to us, but we have advised them so to do, as fast as they can without incurring too much loss. It may be said that they have but little to lose if they lose the whole. But if they have but little, that little is their all, and the imperious demands of the helpless, urge them to make a prudent disposal of the same. And we are highly pleased with a proposition in your preamble, suffering them to remain peaceably till a disposition can be made of their land, etc., which if suffered, our fears are at once hushed, and we have every reason to believe, that during the remaining part of the residence of our friends in your county, the same feelings of friendship and kindness will continue to exist, that have heretofore, and that when they leave you, you will have no reflection of sorrow to cast, that they have been sojourners among you.

To what distance or place they will remove, we are unable to say: in this they must be dictated with judgment and prudence. They may explore the territory of Wisconsin—they may remove there, or they may stop on the other side—of this we are unable to say; but be they where they will, we have this gratifying reflection, that they have never been the first, in an unjust manner, to violate the laws, injure their fellow-men, or disturb the tranquility and peace under which any part of our country has heretofore reposed. And we cannot but believe, that ere long the public mind must undergo a change, when it will appear to the satisfaction of all that this people have been illy treated and abused without cause, and when, as justice would demand, those who have been the instigators of their sufferings will be regarded as their true characters demand.

Though our religious principles are before the world, ready for the investigation of all men, yet we are aware that the sole foundation of all the persecution against our friends, has arisen in consequence of the calumnies and misconstructions, without foundation in truth, or righteousness, in common with all other religious societies, at their first commencement; and should Providence order that we rise not as others before us, to respectability and esteem, but be trodden down by the ruthless hand of extermination, posterity will do us the justice, when our persecutors are equally low in the dust, with ourselves, to hand down to succeeding generations, the virtuous acts and forbearance of a people, who sacrificed their reputation for their religion, and their earthly fortunes and happiness to preserve peace, and save this land from being further drenched in blood.

We have no doubt but your very seasonable mediation, in the time of so great an excitement, will accomplish your most sanguine desire, in preventing further disorder; and we hope, gentlemen, that while you reflect upon the fact, that the citizens of Clay County are urgent for our friends to leave you, that you will also bear in mind, that by their complying with your request to leave, they surrender some of their dearest rights and among the first of those inherent principles guaranteed in the constitution of our country; and that human nature can be driven to a certain extent, when it will yield no farther. Therefore while our friends suffer so much, and forego so many sacred rights, we sincerely hope, and we have every reason to expect, that a suitable forbearance may be shown by the people of Clay, which if done, the cloud that has been obscuring your horizon, will disperse, and you will be left to enjoy peace, harmony and prosperity.

Nothing could be more admirable than the candor and gentleness of this letter. While Joseph's heart was bleeding for his injured brethren in the west, his sense of justice was so exalted that he could recognize every honest purpose among the men who felt forced to make the edict of expatriation. The Prophet also sent a letter of comfort to the Elders in Clay, counseling peace and yet advising the protection at any cost of wives and little children.

No delay had been granted in which to receive such communication from Kirtland, and the leading brethren in Clay assembled on July 1, 1835, the second day following the mass meeting, and considered the proposition. William W. Phelps was chairman, and John Corrill was secretary. A committee consisting of twelve—E. Partridge, I. Morley, L. Wight, T. B. Marsh, E. Higbee, C. Beebee, I. Hitchcock, I. Higbee, S. Bent, T. Billings, J. Emmett and R. Evans—was appointed to report a preamble with resolutions. These were presented and unanimously adopted as follows:

That we (the "Mormons" so called) are grateful for the kindness which has been shown to us by the citizens of Clay, since we have resided with them, and being desirous for peace and wishing the good rather than the ill will of mankind, will use all honorable means to allay the excitement, and, so far as we can, remove any foundations for jealousies against us as a people. We are aware that many rumors prejudicial to us as a society are afloat, and time only can prove their falsity to the world at large. We deny having claim to this or any other county or country further than we purchase with money, or more than the constitution and laws allow us as free American citizens. We have taken no part for or against slavery, but are opposed to the abolitionists, and consider that men have a right to hold slaves or not according to law. We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruptions of the world; but we do not believe it right to interfere with bondservants, nor preach the gospel to, nor meddle with, or influence them in the least to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situation in life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men. Such interference we believe to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in servitude. We deny holding any communications with the Indians, and mean to hold ourselves as ready to defend our country against their barbarous ravages as any other people. We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly. It is needless to enter into a further detail of our faith or mention our sufferings:—

Therefore Resolved, For the sake of friendship, and to be in a covenant of peace with the citizens of Clay County, and the citizens of Clay County to be in a covenant of peace with us, notwithstanding the necessary loss of property and expense we incur in moving, we comply with the requisitions of their resolutions in leaving the county of Clay, as explained by the preamble accompanying the same; and that we will use our exertions to have the Church do the same; and that we will also exert ourselves to stop the tide of emigration of our people to this county.

Resolved, That we accept of the friendly offer verbally tendered to us by the committee yesterday, to assist us in selecting a location and removing to it.

The dread decree was met and accepted. The Saints were fully alive to the kindness of the people of Clay and were willing to sacrifice what little comforts they had been able to accumulate since their banishment from Jackson and to take up their sick and their helpless ones and journey—but whither? Nobly did they repay the charity which had been extended to them. If their presence was a menace to the well-being of men who had in the hour of affliction offered the hand of help, they would brave death in the wilderness rather than have it so any longer. It was an awful hour, but the alternative was exile or dishonor to their pledge. Let their choice speak for them throughout all the ages.

A home in civilization was denied to these afflicted Saints. The old mob organization in Jackson was still maintained. Only a few weeks previous to this time a committee of officials in Jackson had formulated recommendations to their fellow-ruffians in case the Saints should attempt to come back to form a new settlement or to repossess their own property. The chief executive of the state, Daniel Dunklin, under date of July 18th, made a miserable confession of his utter inability to help or protect them. And the settled counties adjoining Clay had already refused to permit them to live and labor within their borders.

But when the citizens of Clay witnessed the nobility of the long-suffering Saints, they adopted a resolution urging the keeping of "the peace towards the Mormons as good faith, justice, morality and religion require." Committees were appointed by these citizens to aid the people in their removal. And before adjourning, the meeting adopted the following resolution:

That this meeting recommend the Mormons to the good treatment of the citizens of the adjoining counties. We also recommend the inhabitants of the neighboring counties to assist the Mormons in selecting some abiding place for their people, where they will be in a measure the only occupants and where none will be anxious to molest them.

In less than three months the Saints began their work of removal from Clay County into the wilderness. They had few of the facilities for extensive travel or for the establishment of comfortable settlements. To the north and east of Clay was Ray County, the upper part of which was almost entirely unoccupied. But seven men lived there, and these were bee-hunters who, having exhausted the honey of that region, were about to desert the place. The timber was poor and the land unattractive to ordinary settlers. Into this place, known as the Shoal Creek region, the Saints journeyed. They bought out the few possessions of the bee-hunters and began to make homes. The natural poverty of the county rendered it for a time a place of safe refuge. But it was then, as it has been since, the case, that the Latter-day Saints are left in undisputed possession of a desert or a wilderness, until they have redeemed it from physical chaos and made it a delightful habitation for man—then their expulsion or oppression begins. Their industry and thrift are a temptation to the idle and dissolute.

With the simple hope of enjoying the life, liberty, and religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution, the Saints immigrated into northern Ray in considerable numbers. In December, 1836, they petitioned the legislature of the state of Missouri to incorporate the Shoal Creek region and surrounding lands, which were almost entirely unoccupied except by them, as a new county. The prayer was granted in that month, and the county was organized under the name of Caldwell. The city of Far West was laid out during the winter, and in the spring of 1837 preparations were made for the erection of a house of the Lord in that place.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE FIRST SERIOUS APOSTASY AND THE FIRST GREAT MISSIONARY MOVEMENT— DISSENSIONS AT KIRTLAND, AND SUCCESSFUL LABORS IN ENGLAND—JOSEPH MEETS JOHN TAYLOR IN CANADA—TRIALS AND MURDEROUS MOBS AT PAINESVILLE—THE PROPHET WADES THROUGH SWAMPS IN THE NIGHT, CARRYING SIDNEY UPON HIS BACK.

I say unto all the Twelve, Arise and gird up your loins, take up your cross, follow me, and feed my sheep.

Exalt not yourselves; rebel not against my servant Joseph, for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and the keys which I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come.

* * * * *

Wherefore, whithersoever they (the First Presidency) shall send you, go ye, and I will be with you.

This was a commandment given through Joseph Smith unto Thomas B. Marsh, at Kirtland, on the 23rd day of July, 1837, concerning the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. It was necessary; for pride and disunion and the ambitions of the world were doing their work among some of their number, and they would heed neither the counsels of Joseph nor the direct behest of the Almighty.

Not for many generations had men been favored of the Lord as they had been. They had received heavenly manifestations sufficient, one would think, to keep them from ever turning away from the truth. But after receiving these glorious evidences of divine favor, like their master, Jesus, they were "tempted of the devil;" yet not like their Lord, some of these men yielded to temptation and fell from their high estate. They did not resist the allurements of Satan. The desire for the glory of the world, the wealth of the world, the vain things of the world, overcame them. A mania to speculate, to make money, became almost universally prevalent. It was a general tendency in the United States, and especially in the west, at the time of which we write. Forgetting the visions of eternity they had beheld; forgetting the holy anointing they had received; forgetting their high callings and their dedication to the ministry of the Son of God, leading men became real estate dealers, merchants, organizers of "wildcat" schemes, and eventually deadly enemies of the work of God and of him whom He had chosen as His Prophet. Simultaneously with this spirit of speculation, came the spirit of apostasy and rebellion against the authority of heaven. So rife did this spirit become that those who rebelled were applauded, and even men were glad to find excuse in the example of the Twelve and other leading men for their own wrong-doing. The few of the Apostles who were willing to fulfill the requirements of the gospel in all things were ridiculed and every effort was made to dissuade them from the course they were pursuing. Jealousy and hatred of the Prophet cropped out on every hand. Those who disobeyed were called wise by all the disaffected spirits; and those who made every required sacrifice in humility were called foolish. But the generation had not passed away before the Lord repaid according to His promise. The men who had exalted themselves were abased into nothingness; while those who had bowed their heads in humility were exalted. Today the names of the proud and the vain of that time are almost forgotten; while the names of the Apostles who endured all things faithfully are held in most solemn and sacred remembrance by the congregation of Israel.

It was a time of great trial. In the winter of 1836-7 preparations had been made to establish a bank to be known as the Kirtland Safety Society—an institution wisely designed to ameliorate the financial condition of the community. The society was established; but the Prophet's plan for its usefulness and the general prosperity failed through the envy and covetousness of some of the leading men. The sorrow which this brought to Joseph cannot be described. He had labored and advised with no other object than the general benefit, carrying upon his own shoulders a greater burden than was imposed upon anyone else. He had not sought self-aggrandizement, nor would he willingly permit the avarice of other men to gain advantage over the community's welfare.

He took part in every labor; and had assumed personally a large share of the work and care of the printing office, which was at that time a great responsibility and expense.

So many evil surmisings, so much disunion and apostasy followed in quick succession the spirit of speculation to which reference has been made, that the Prophet was led to exclaim:

It seemed as though all the powers of earth and hell were combining their influence to overthrow the Church.

The integrity of all was tested. Instances of fidelity to the Prophet were not wanting, especially among the meek and humble, and when the Prophet met with these their presence and words brought solace and encouragement to his wounded spirit. Among the prominent men defection was too general. Several of them yielded to a spirit of murmuring and fault-finding who afterwards bitterly repented of their unstable and weak conduct and lack of integrity and courage. The feeling which Joseph had during these sorrowful days is illustrated by remarks which he made to Elder Wilford Woodruff, when the latter called upon him in the spring of 1837, on the eve of his departure on a mission to Fox Islands. At that time Elder Woodruff was one of the first seventy. The Prophet scrutinized him very closely, as though he would read his inmost thoughts, and remarked: "Brother Woodruff, I am glad to see you; I hardly know, when I meet those who have been my brethren in the Lord, who of them are my friends, they have become so scarce."

When Elder Woodruff reported to Sidney Rigdon, who was then the Prophet's first counselor, how strongly he was impressed to carry the gospel to Fox Islands, to a people who, he felt, were ready to receive it, Sidney said: "That is right; I wish you would go; for if you do, some of the devils who are now here in Kirtland will follow you, as they will every faithful man who goes out into the vineyard."

The enemies of the cause abroad were united with the spirits of dissension at Kirtland, to produce disaffection against the Prophet himself and to attribute to him those evils which were solely caused by disobedience to his counsel and the command of God expressed through him. As we have seen, some of the Twelve were so far blinded that they joined secretly with the enemy; but there was not a quorum in the Church that was entirely exempt from the evil influence.

Joseph was stricken with illness in June, 1837. And while he was wrestling with the adversary to overcome the physical affliction, the doubting members of the Church were taught by apostates that his woes had been sent upon him because of his transgressions. When the Prophet was once more restored through prayer and the blessing of the Almighty to his condition of health and power, he humbly said of his enemies:

The Lord judge betwixt me and them, while I pray my Father to forgive them the wrong.

While Satan was spreading this spirit of dissension through Kirtland, the Lord was directing to Joseph the magnificent missionary movement to the old world. About the first day of June, 1837, that devoted and ever-constant Apostle Heber C. Kimball was set apart by the spirit of prophecy and revelation to preside over a mission to England—the first in that dispensation. With him were associated Apostle Orson Hyde and Elders Willard Richards and Joseph Fielding; and when they reached New York they were joined by three brethren from Canada, John Goodson, Isaac Russell and John Snyder. They sailed from the United States on the 1st day of July, 1837, on the ship Garrick, and landed in Liverpool on the 20th day of that same month.

This was the commencement of a glorious work, which has brought the honest-in-heart by tens of thousands from foreign lands, and which yet continues and must continue until the elect shall be gathered and the judgments of God are poured out upon the nations. Though this was the first missionary work of the Church performed in another hemisphere, self-denying brethren had up to this time been diligent in laboring in Canada, in the states and among the Indians on the border, that the people of this continent might have an opportunity to hear and obey.

It was a glorious overcoming of the evil which menaced the Church at that hour. Drawing strength and means from abroad to the cause, the missionary movement also opened a glorious opportunity for Elders in Zion to forsake speculations, vanities, dissensions, and to prove their faith by their devoted efforts for the salvation of their fellow-men.

Apostles Kimball and Hyde, and Elder Richards and companions landed on this foreign shore absolutely moneyless. They did not have so much as a cent or a farthing, but they were not dismayed. The Prophet of God had pronounced upon their heads blessings which they knew could not fail. Immediately after landing at Liverpool they advanced to Preston, thirty miles distant. When they alighted from the coach they found unfurled above their heads a large flag bearing this inscription in letters of gold:

"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL."

The banner was floating in compliment to Queen Victoria who had but recently ascended the throne after the death of King William IV; but it was accepted as a promise and a good omen by the Elders, and they were not disappointed.

Elder Joseph Fielding had a brother who resided at Preston, and with whom he and his sisters, one of whom afterwards became the wife of President Hyrum Smith, and the mother of his son, Joseph F. Smith, had corresponded. He was a minister of religion, and was styled Rev. James Fielding. Three days after the Elders landed in England they preached in Mr. Fielding's church, at Preston, and seven days later they baptized nine persons in the River Ribble near that place. The continuation of their work was marked by a noble zeal on their own part and a prosperity under the divine assistance almost without parallel.

The hatred against the Prophet took violent form at this time. Every possible effort was made by apostates and mobocrats to harass and injure him. On the 27th day of July, 1837, he departed from Kirtland with Elders Brigham Young, Albert P. Rockwood, Sidney Rigdon and Thomas B. Marsh for the purpose of performing a mission among the Saints in Canada. A considerable work was being done there, and the Prophet desired to give personal counsel and assistance to the Saints. But when they reached Painesville, a few miles from Kirtland, writs in civil action and warrants of arrest were served upon Joseph for the purpose of detaining him. These suits were vexatious and without any foundation in law or justice. Their purpose was stated by Sheriff Kimball, the man who served the papers upon the Prophet, to Elder Anson Call as follows:

We don't want your Prophet to leave Kirtland, and he shan't leave.

Two or three times during that day the civil suits against him were dismissed, and he was discharged from the criminal warrants, their trumped-up character being evident. But this was only to make a show of justice; for the sheriff went after the Prophet as he was leaving Painesville, sprang into his carriage and served another writ upon him. Though this case was manifestly unjust as the others, he was held to bail in the sum of $700—quite a large amount in those days, considering the poverty of the people and the petty nature of the suit. It was decided by the court that no one who lived in Kirtland should be accepted as sureties upon the bonds. This order was made for no other purpose than to prevent the giving of bail, as it was hoped that Joseph could not secure it elsewhere and that his person would remain in the hands of his enemies. It was Anson Call, then living at Madison, who gave the necessary security for the Prophet's liberation, thereby permitting him to return to Kirtland. Some weeks subsequently, at the time appointed for the trial, the Prophet appeared in the court at Painesville; but as no one was there to maintain the charge against him, the falsifiers having in the meantime become frightened at their own perjury, he was acquitted.

On the night of July 28th, 1837, which was the day after the arrest at Painesville, Joseph started again for Canada with the brethren formerly named. On the afternoon of the 29th of July, having reached Ashtabula, they took a deck passage on board a steamer for Buffalo. They had very little money, and their accommodations and fare were of the humblest. They lay all night on the upper deck of the boat with their clothes on and with their valises for pillows. Despite the tribulations through which he had just passed and despite the rudeness of his couch, the Prophet slept serenely and restfully. When they reached Buffalo the party separated, Elders Brigham Young and Albert P. Rockwood going to the Eastern States, and Joseph—with Elders Rigdon and Marsh—departing for Upper Canada.

During the month of August, 1837, Joseph traveled among the branches of the Church in Canada, ministering counsel and comfort to the Saints. At Toronto he met John Taylor, who had been baptized by Parley P. Pratt, and who was then the president over the Church in Canada. The Prophet and the future President had a time of rejoicing together. Joseph was deeply impressed by the character of John Taylor. The latter had been a preacher in the Methodist church at Toronto, and had in that organization taken rank as a religious reformer. He declared apostolic doctrines before he ever saw one of the Latter-day Saints, and had been brought to trial before a ministerial body for his heretical sermons. With the inspiration that was upon him he had refused to recant, although his courageous act brought ostracism upon himself and family. It was this brave and scholarly man who welcomed Joseph and labored with him in Canada. It was this same hero who, after seven years of trial—during which he never flinched—was with his beloved Prophet at the martyrdom in Carthage jail. Joseph's association with John Taylor, as with other leading men in the Church, shows how the Lord was directing the footsteps of His future Apostles and Seers of that generation, that they should come into communication and into living and loving companionship with the founder of the Church.

When the Prophet returned from Canada he secured a horse and wagon at the city of Buffalo, with which to make the journey to Kirtland. Sidney was with him, and they traveled to Painesville without molestation; but while there, eating supper at the house of a Mr. Bissel who had been the Prophet's advocate in the former law suits, a mob surrounded the house and yelled for Joseph's blood. Bissel knew that he himself might be a sufferer, but he was determined that murder should not be committed upon an unoffending man if he could prevent it. While the rabble was congregating in groups around the house, he led Joseph and Sidney quietly through the back door, and under cover of night they slipped between the assassin crowds and escaped. Scarcely were they gone when the mob discovered the fact and, mounting horses, pushed out upon the Mentor road. They posted sentinels and lighted bonfires all along this track, which they expected the Prophet and his companion would travel to get into Kirtland. But Joseph took to the fields. Sidney was weakened and almost helpless with illness and fear. Many swamps lay in their way; and Joseph waded through these and carried Sidney upon his back. He kept away from the road far enough to be secure in the darkness, while the fires which had been intended for his detection really aided him to avoid his blood-thirsty pursuers. After a toilsome and rapid journey, during which Joseph carried Sidney most of the way, they reached the end of the Mentor road which intersected with a highway leading two miles into Kirtland. The mob had not posted their sentinels or built their fires further than this point; and, being well past their enemies, Joseph and Sidney were able to take the traveled road and to continue their journey with less pain and toil. It was very late on Saturday night when they reached their homes in Kirtland greatly exhausted. None but their families heard of their arrival until the next morning, when Joseph appeared at meeting and preached a powerful sermon to the assembled Saints.

Immediately after this time, on September 3rd, at a conference held in Kirtland, Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith, Sen., Hyrum Smith and John Smith were sustained as assistant counselors to the First Presidency, the congregation having declined to sustain Frederick G. Williams in the position which he held as second counselor to the Prophet. Objection being also made to three of the Apostles, Luke Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson and John F. Boynton, they were by the voice of the Saints shorn of their apostolic rank and were disfellowshiped; however, as they subsequently made protestation of their repentance, they were received back into the Church and into their station. But their humility was either a mere pretense or was very volatile in its character; because not many weeks elapsed until they were once more engaged in an effort to ruin the Church and the Prophet.

Thus the first serious apostasy and the first great missionary movement of the Church started together. How unavailing the falsehoods and lack of fidelity have been and how glorious the efforts of the servants of God to spread the light of the gospel through every land, every chapter of the Church's history from that time to this speaks in eloquent tones.

In the August number of the Messenger and Advocate was published a prospectus for the Elders' Journal to be edited by the Prophet. In pursuance of this announcement the publication of the Messenger and Advocate was suspended with the September number, and in October, 1837, the Elders' Journal was begun; but only two numbers were issued when, through the destruction of the printing office by fire, in December, 1837, work of this character was stopped.

CHAPTER XXXV.

JOHN TAYLOR'S BRAVE DEFENSE OF JOSEPH—THE PROPHET ENCOUNTERS THE SPIRIT OF APOSTASY IN MISSOURI—HYRUM IN THE FIRST PRESIDENCY—BRIGHAM YOUNG'S COURAGE AND DEVOTION—JOSEPH DRIVEN FROM KIRTLAND—DAVID W. PATTEN'S PROPHETIC OBJECTION—SAD EXCOMMUNICATIONS—FATE OF PROMINENT MEN—ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN—THE GATHERING.

After the apostasy became general at Kirtland, those who banded themselves against the Prophet and the faithful Saints set up a claim to the ownership of the Temple. Scenes of a turbulent and even violent character were witnessed in the sacred building. Deadly weapons were drawn and flourished and lives were threatened by the members of the apostate party who sought by these means to overawe the peaceful members of the Church and to accomplish the ends they had in view.

After the visit which the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon and Thomas B. Marsh made to Canada, Elder John Taylor, with the view of making preparations to gather with the Saints and to provide a home for himself and family, repaired to Kirtland. While there he attended services in the Temple. Fault-finding and accusation were indulged in by leading men in their remarks, and the Prophet was the target at which their shafts of censure were aimed. They looked upon him and spoke of him as a fallen prophet. These attacks aroused all the lion of John Taylor's nature—and all who ever saw him when strength and courage were demanded, can remember how grandly he could rise to the occasion and satisfy every expectation—and he arose and obtained the privilege of speaking from one of the stands. He was a stranger to the congregation; they knew not who he was nor whence he came, but the Saints saw in him a man of God. His fine presence, his courageous demeanor, the plainness and strength of his reasoning and the power of God which accompanied his words, made a great impression upon the entire audience. His address was a masterly exposition of the great truths which God had inspired Joseph to reveal—truths of which all the learned and religious world were in entire ignorance until they were brought forth by Joseph—and a defense of him as a prophet of God. The dissenters were rebuked and the Saints were strengthened and encouraged and all felt that a man had appeared upon the scene who would yet be a power among the Saints. This was President Taylor's first public introduction to the Saints at the gathering place.

Undaunted by the apostasy, and relying upon the promise of the Lord, Joseph knew that the work would surely grow and that places must be appointed for the gathering of the Saints in the last days. To every human appearance, in the spring and summer of 1837, the Church was in a state of dissolution; but all who were animated by the spirit of truth knew that the disunion at Kirtland was but the effort of the adversary, which, with patience and faithfulness, might be overcome.

In September, Joseph had not yet learned through any earthly medium of the marvelous work which was to be done abroad among the honest-in-heart; and yet, on the 27th day of that month, he and Sidney Rigdon began a journey to the west to visit the Saints in Missouri and to establish places into which might come converts from every land. They were accompanied on this journey by Vinson Knight and William Smith, while Hyrum was already at Far West, laboring with his accustomed energy and fidelity for the advancement of the gospel and the well-being of the Saints.

While the Prophet and his companions were on the way, Hyrum's wife Jerusha died at Kirtland, leaving five little children. Her dying message was full of faith in the gospel and was a comfort to her absent husband when he learned it, and it proved that she was worthy to be the consort of the destined patriarch and martyr.

A little over a month was consumed in the journey to Far West; and soon after the Prophet's arrival he began to hold meetings for the settlement of all difficulties which had arisen between the brethren there, the same evil spirit which had gained such sway in Kirtland having begun to assert its power in Missouri. On the 7th of November, 1837, a general assembly of the Church was held at Far West, at which Frederick G. Williams was rejected by the congregation as a counselor to the President of the Church; and, upon motion of Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith was elected to fill the vacancy. The local organization was also perfected, and prayer was offered to God that this place might be a gathering spot for the Saints.

As it appeared to the Prophet that the regions surrounding Far West, occupied by other settlers, afforded yet much room, the plat of Far West was enlarged into the dimensions of a city, and every preparation was made to afford a refuge to such as might choose to gather to this new Stake of Zion. It was also decided that the time had not yet come for the building of a temple at Far West, but that the brethren should await the commandment of the Lord upon this subject.

About the 10th of November, Joseph left Far West to return to Kirtland, occupying a month in the journey and reaching his home on the 10th day of December.

While he had been absent, the spirit of apostasy had gained an ascendancy with men who had previously begged forgiveness from the Prophet. Warren Parrish, John F. Boynton, Joseph Coe and others,—deeming that the absence of the Prophet afforded them an opportunity—banded themselves together to accomplish the overthrow of the Church. They renounced the Church of Jesus Christ, renounced the authority of the Prophet of God, and set up an organization for themselves. Denouncing Joseph and his faithful supporters as heretics, they became so violent at any opposition to their falsehoods that they even sought the lives of their former brethren.

Brigham Young always was one of the truest and most intrepid of men; and during all these Kirtland troubles he openly and fearlessly declared to all that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and had neither transgressed nor fallen from his divinely appointed place. His unswerving and undaunted attitude, the plainness of his declarations and the vigor of his defense of Joseph, and his exposure of the schemes of his enemies, aroused their fury. The apostates could not brook this boldness of the Apostle Brigham; it interfered with their murderous designs against Joseph and their hateful purposes against the Church. Threats and cajolery having alike failed to intimidate or divert him, they determined to kill him. But he learned of their designs; and nearly two weeks after the Prophet had returned to Kirtland and was able to assert his own authority, Brigham Young departed for Missouri to escape the assassins who ravened for his life at Kirtland.

In the meantime the work abroad progressed gloriously. On Christmas day, 1837, a conference was held at Preston, at which the reports showed that already the branch of the Church in England numbered about one thousand souls.

The letters conveying these happy tidings had not yet reached the Prophet; and except as hope was inspired in his heart by the Holy Spirit, he had little comfort through the darkness of that night of 1837, for apostasy and transgression strove hard to rule the weak and ruin the staunch at Kirtland.

The experience of 1836-7 in the Church demonstrated as never before, that irrefragable testimonies concerning the divine origin of the gospel and the prophetic calling of Joseph were not alone sufficient to keep men faithful. Unflinching firmness and intrepidity were also indispensable; but preeminent above all other qualities, purity of life was absolutely essential. The half century which has since elapsed has abundantly confirmed this. The virtuous, humble men who possessed steadfastness and faith in the days of trial at Kirtland, have since grown to prominence among the Saints. The qualities which they then exhibited have had ample room for exercise in the subsequent vicissitudes through which the Church has passed. The Lord has tried and proved them; they have acquired confidence themselves; and the people have ever looked to them as leaders who could be trusted and upon whose courage, judgment and integrity they could safely rely.

In this connection it is worthy of remark that the three men who have succeeded the Prophet Joseph as Presidents of the Church, were all distinguished during Joseph's lifetime for their love for the truth and their unswerving affection and loyalty to him as the Prophet of God. President Brigham Young, probably above all men in Kirtland, displayed these qualities during the stormy scenes of the last year of his residence at that place.

President Wilford Woodruff, though not so prominent in those days as he afterwards became, was expostulated with, coaxed and ridiculed by some of his old friends, notably Warren Parrish, who had been his fellow-missionary in the Southern States, for the purpose of inducing him to join them and turn against the Prophet. But the integrity of the man was immovable and all their efforts proved unavailing.

With the dawn of the new year confusion and mobocratic power increased, and on the 12th of January, 1838, Joseph and Sidney were driven from Kirtland to escape mob violence. Their destination was Far West, and they were pursued more than two hundred miles by armed enemies seeking their lives. The weather was intensely severe, and Joseph and his companion, with their families who had joined them, suffered greatly in their endeavor to elude the murderous pursuit. Several times the pursuers crossed the Prophet's track. Twice they entered the houses where his party had gained a refuge, and once they occupied a room in the same building with only a partition between them, through which the Prophet heard their oaths and imprecations concerning him. Thus were they protected by divine power, else murder would have been done, for the long and unavailing pursuit had filled these would-be assassins with a fiendish desire for blood. Owing to the severity of the season two months were occupied in the journey to Far West, which place the Prophet and his family reached on the 14th day of March, 1838, accompanied by Apostle Brigham Young, who had joined him on the way.

His arrival was very timely and necessary. Upon his previous visit objection had been raised to some of the local authorities and they were only accepted by the congregation after having made humble confession of their sins and entered their solemn promise of repentance.

But so soon as the Prophet had turned his back upon Far West to go to Kirtland, the local presidency had again entered into transgression, acting selfishly and arbitrarily in the administration of financial affairs and completely losing the confidence of the body of the people.

While the Prophet had been journeying toward Missouri after escaping the Kirtland mob in January, 1838, a general assembly of the Saints in Far West was held on the 5th day of February, at which David Whitmer, John Whitmer and William W. Phelps were rejected as the local presidency; and a few days later Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten, of the Twelve, were selected to act as a presidency until the Prophet should arrive. Oliver Cowdery too had been suspended from his position. Persisting in unchristianlike conduct, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer had been excommunicated by the high council in Far West, four days previous to the arrival of Joseph.

This was the sad situation as the Prophet approached the dwelling place of the Saints in Missouri. Many of the people went out to meet him, and at a distance of one hundred and twenty miles from Far West they found him and tendered him teams and money to help him forward. The joy they had in his presence arose from an absolute knowledge of his power and authority as a Prophet of God. They were certain that many of their difficulties would end with his presence, because he would give the light of truth by which to guide their footsteps.

On the eighth anniversary of the organization of the Church a conference was held at Far West under the presidency of Joseph. On this occasion David W. Patten declared that he could not recommend William E. McLellin, Luke Johnson and John F. Boynton as members of the Twelve, and he was also doubtful of William Smith. His objection to these men was prophetic; all of them lost their standing, disgraced their calling, forfeited their knowledge of the truth and their promise of reward hereafter, and sank back into the mire of this world.

At the same conference Brigham Young, David W. Patten and Thomas B. Marsh were chosen to preside over the Church in Missouri.

On the 12th of April, 1838, Oliver Cowdery was found guilty of serious wrong-doing for which he had not made repentance, and he was excommunicated by the high council at Far West. Before the same tribunal on the day following David Whitmer was charged with persistent disobedience of the word of wisdom and with unchristianlike conduct, and he was also cut off. Luke Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson and John F. Boynton were excommunicated about the same tune, and less than a month later a similar fate befell William E. McLellin.

It was a sorrowful day for Joseph when he lost the companionship of these men who had been with him during many trials and who had participated with him in the glorious understanding of heavenly things. But they were no longer anything but dead branches, harmful to the growing tree, and it was necessary for the pruner to lop them off. Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were two of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, designated by the word of the Almighty to view the plates and to be ministered unto by the Angel of the Record. Oliver had stood with Joseph in the Kirtland temple and seen the marvelous manifestations there. It was sad to see them thus shorn of power and blessing, but they had demonstrated their unworthiness to hold the positions which they had filled, and the penalty must fall upon them that the Church might escape the evil of their sins.

Had Joseph's faith in God and confidence in the mission which the Creator had entrusted to him been less than it was, he might have temporized with these men and not dealt with them in so strict and summary a manner. He was attached to them by many ties. They had been his aids and companions in days when he most needed help, sustenance and friendship. Through his ministrations of the gospel, God had enabled him to abundantly repay them. Still he never could forget their past associations. They were two of the heaven-selected witnesses who had testified that God's voice had declared to them that Joseph's translation of the Book of Mormon had been made by the gift and power of God. If they should be excommunicated from the Church, suppose that they, filled with anger thereat, should abandon themselves to the spirit of evil which so many men, so dealt with, yielded to in those days; what then? Like others, might they not renounce the truth, circulate all manner of falsehoods, deny the divinity of the work and even the solemn testimony which they had borne? These might be the reflections of an ordinary man under such circumstances; but such thoughts never troubled this Prophet of God. This Church was not the Church of man. Jesus Christ, its divine head, had promised He would take care of, sustain and defend it. However much, then, Joseph's affection and friendship might be for these men, he owed a paramount duty to his God to deal with transgressors in His Church according to the laws which He had given. This duty the Prophet performed without hesitation, leaving all consequences for the Lord to control.

Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, the three witnesses of the divine origin of Joseph's translation of the Book of Mormon, were all severed from the Church. They became opponents of Joseph Smith and claimed he had fallen into transgression; but amid all their trials, temptations and vicissitudes they never hesitated or wavered in regard to the published testimony which they gave to the world concerning the Book of Mormon. Each of them to the day of his death, asseverated in the most solemn manner the truth of his testimony. All three are dead; but they still live as immutable witnesses of the truth and divinity of the record known as the Book of Mormon, and by their testimony will the world yet be judged.

In the sacred records which have come to us there is no mention of any other man, that was so highly favored as Oliver Cowdery was, falling from his exalted position and forfeiting his blessings and Priesthood as he did. What a lesson and warning does his history convey! It is generally understood by those who knew him in the days of which we write, that he was guilty of unvirtuous conduct. This came to the Prophet's knowledge. He warned Oliver of the consequences which would follow if he did not repent. The warnings were unheeded. The Spirit of God withdrew itself from him and he fell into darkness; and from being the second Elder in the Church, he lost his standing as a member and became an alien to the people of God. For years he remained in this condition. After the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo and the city of Salt Lake had been founded, he arrived at Kanesville, made suitable acknowledgments in great humility to the Church there and was admitted to it by baptism under the direction of Elder Orson Hyde. He was re-ordained to the Melchisedec Priesthood and shortly afterwards died at Richmond, in the state of Missouri.

Martin Harris also came back penitent to the Church, after being for years separated from it. He was restored to fellowship and the Priesthood, and was strong in his testimony for the truth up to his death, which was at a very advanced age at Smithfield, Cache County, Utah Territory.

David Whitmer never rejoined the Church; but his testimony concerning the divine origin of the Book of Mormon was widely circulated through the newspapers of the country. He died at Richmond, Missouri.

Of the three Apostles who were then excommunicated—Boynton and the two Johnsons—one only rejoined the Church. Luke Johnson came to Nauvoo at the time of the exodus and was again admitted to fellowship. He was one of the company of Pioneers who under the leadership of President Brigham Young, left Winter Quarters on the Missouri River in 1847, to find a home for the Latter-day Saints in the great West, and which resulted in the settling of Great Salt Lake Valley. Luke Johnson was a member of the Church when he died in Salt Lake City.

President Brigham Young related a conversation himself and some others of the Twelve Apostles had with Lyman E. Johnson on one occasion in Nauvoo. It was after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph. They were speaking of old times when they were all engaged in the ministry and when Lyman E. Johnson was a zealous advocate of the truth. The bitterness he had exhibited in Kirtland had passed away, and he was softened by the association with his old companions. Speaking of the heavenly influence and spirit which had accompanied him in his labors in the ministry, Lyman said, "I would give my right hand to-day if, by so doing, I could feel once more as I did then."

In the month of April, 1838, the Lord commanded His Saints through Joseph that the Church in these last days should be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also commanded His people to arise and shine that their light might be a standard for the nations, and that the gathering to Zion and her stakes might be a refuge from the storm and from the wrath which shall be poured out upon the whole earth.

During the spring and early summer of 1838, the Prophet was peacefully engaged in his labors at Far West and in the regions surrounding. He established a stake of Zion at Adam-ondi-Ahman in Daviess County, Missouri, at the spot where Adam had dwelt and where, according to Daniel the Prophet, the Ancient of Days shall sit. He assisted in the laying of the corner stones of the house of the Lord at Far West on the 4th day of July. And during all this time he was busily engaged in collating data and recording facts relating to Church history, that the momentous events of the eight years preceding might not be lost to the coming generations.

On the 8th day of July, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards were appointed by revelation to fill the places of those who had fallen from the quorum of the Twelve. On the same day the Lord declared the law of tithing to stand for the guidance of the faithful forever.

Joseph also labored in the preparation of the Elders' Journal, the publication of which was resumed in July, 1838, at Far West.

Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde had returned from England, reaching Kirtland in May, 1838, having left the English mission under the presidency of Joseph Fielding, with Willard Richards and William Clayton as his counselors.

On the 10th of March, 1838, the Seventies at Kirtland had decided to remove their quorum in a camp to the west; and on the 6th day of July of this year, a large body of the Saints, numbering five hundred and fifteen souls—including and in charge of the Seventies—departed from Kirtland for Missouri. Many sufferings were endured by this devoted band. Their ranks were decimated by disease and persecutions. Some of them grew faint and faithless and fell by the wayside. But the majority persevered; and about two hundred of the original number reached Adam-ondi-Ahman in a body, while many of the others came as speedily as their circumstances would permit.

From that time on, until the mob once more triumphed and drove them forth, the gathering of the Saints continued.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

PENISTON AROUSES A MOB—HIS EXCITING SPEECH CAUSES A CRUEL ATTACK UPON TWELVE UNARMED BRETHREN—ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MOBOCRATS DRIVE THEM FROM THE POLLS—ADAM BLACK'S PROMISE—FALSE CHARGES AGAINST THE SAINTS—THE SHERIFF OF DAVIESS COUNTY ARRESTS JOSEPH—BOGGS ORDERS THE RAISING OF THE MILITIA—THE PROPHET PERCEIVES THE REAL OBJECT OF THIS ORDER.

In August, 1838, the appalling mob crusade began which resulted finally in the exile of the Saints from the state of Missouri.

Previous to this time lands had been purchased by some of the brethren in Daviess County, adjoining Caldwell on the north. The Saints who settled there were industrious and law-abiding citizens. But the murderous element in that region would not permit them to toil in peace and enjoy the rights of freemen. Some of the old mobbers were there, and they joined with the people who had sold farms to the Saints and who saw in this wicked conjunction of forces an opportunity to recover their possessions, without any other cost than the banishment or murder of the "Mormon" settlers. Colonel William P. Peniston, who had led the mob in Clay County against the Saints, was desirous of being returned to the state legislature as a representative from Daviess County. The election was to be held on the 6th day of August, 1838. Previous to that time Peniston and his friends had organized with a determination to prevent the Saints from voting, as it was believed that they would not aid their old enemy—persecutor and law-breaker that he was—to a seat in the law-making body of the state. A friendly judge named Morin told some of the Elders of the plot against them and advised them to go to the polls armed and ready to resist the unlawful aggression. But, though they were strong in their intention to exercise their rights as set forth in the constitution and the laws, bitter experience had taught them that such an act on their part as carrying arms, merely for self-protection, would be called an unlawful demonstration and would be followed by a general assault upon them under cover of authority. So they went to the polling places with no other weapons than clean consciences, clean ballots and clean, strong hands. At Gallatin, the principal town of the county, twelve of them were preparing to cast their votes. But Peniston mounted a barrel and made an exciting, desperate speech. He was surrounded by an assemblage of ruffians numbering one hundred and fifty. To this inflammable material he applied the torch.

He said:

The Mormon leaders profess to heal the sick, and you know that is a damned lie.

He declared his opposition to the settlement of the Saints in that region and told his hearers that if they suffered the "Mormons" to vote, they would deserve to lose their own suffrages.

Addressing the Saints he declared:

I headed a mob to drive you out of Clay County and would not prevent your being mobbed now.

Incited to horrible rage by his incendiary tirade some of the drunken men in the mob attacked the brethren, and when effective resistance was made by the courageous twelve, the entire rabble of one hundred and fifty set upon them. The brethren fought with desperate courage. They were defending the most sacred right of American citizenship. Before the well-directed blows from their stout arms and bare hands, scores of the mobocrats fell in the dust; but at last, overpowered by numbers, and warned by the authorities of the county that this attack had been premeditated and they would do better to withdraw, the brethren retreated.

Just outside of town they held a council to decide whether to return to the polling places or seek their homes. While they were debating this point, they saw crowds of mob recruits rush into the town armed with guns, pistols, knives and clubs; and knowing that these men intended to do murder upon them the brethren hastened to their farms, collected their families and hid them in a thicket of hazel brush for the night. A heavy rain came on. The women and little children, drenched to the skin, were compelled to lie upon the chilling ground through all the stormy hours of darkness, while their husbands and fathers stood sentry at the edge of the copse, expecting every hour that the dread attack would come.

The next morning word was brought to Far West by friendly settlers that some of the brethren had been killed at Gallatin, while attempting to cast their votes, and that the mob power was again supreme and was determined to drive the Saints from the county of Daviess. It was reported that the murderers would not even allow the Saints to obtain the bodies of their dead nor direct their burial.

Without a thought for his personal safety and with that lion-like courage which ever distinguished him, Joseph and his no less heroic brother Hyrum, with fifteen or twenty others, started to aid the Saints in Daviess. On the way Joseph was joined by a few brethren from different places, some of whom were fleeing from the mob, and that night, having reached Colonel Wight's house in Daviess County, he was rejoiced to learn that although some of the brethren had been badly bruised, none had been killed.

Among the men who had sold lands to the Saints was one Adam Black, a justice of the peace and just then judge elect for the county. This man, a sworn officer of the law and an aspirant for further judicial honors, had joined himself with the mob, probably in the hope to recover his farm without cost. Joseph determined to see this treasonable man and remonstrate with him against the cruelty and dishonesty of his course. Upon visiting him the Prophet received a verbal confession of his alliance with the rabble. Being further pressed to declare what his future course would be concerning the Saints and solicited to sign an agreement of peace, he prepared and gave to the Prophet a document, of which the following is an exact copy:

I Adam Black a Justice of the peace of Daviess county do hereby Sertify to the people coled Mormin, that he is bound to suport the constitution of this State, and of the United State, and he is not attached to any mob, nor will not attach himself to any such people, and so long as they will not molest me, I will not molest them. This the 8th day of August, 1838.

Adam Black J. P.

No force nor unkindness was used with Black. No threat was uttered against him. The Prophet merely visited him as he visited other men of prominence or notoriety in that region, in a manly endeavor to subdue the kindling flame. Whatever contempt Joseph felt for the wretch who, with a judge's dignity upon him, could connive with a lawless, murderous mob, he was able to suppress; his demeanor was that of dignity and repose. But, as subsequent events proved, Black could not forgive the Prophet for the humiliation which he had made him feel.

That night some of the leading citizens of the county called upon the Prophet, and together they agreed to hold a conference at Adam-ondi-Ahman the next day at 12 o'clock. Pursuant to this appointment, both parties met in friendly council, and entered into a covenant of peace, to preserve each other's rights and to stand in their defense. For the Saints such men as Lyman Wight, John Smith, Vinson Knight, Reynolds Cahoon, and others resident there, gave this pledge. And for the other settlers, Joseph Morin, senator-elect; John Williams, representative-elect; James P. Turner, clerk of the circuit court; and other men of influence and character, made their solemn promise. Having accomplished so much, the assembly dispersed on terms of amity, and the Prophet and his companions returned to Far West.

The covenant of protection extended by the prominent men of Daviess County, who knew and by their acts admitted that the Saints had been unjustly dealt with and unlawfully threatened, was without avail. On the 10th day of August, 1838, William P. Peniston and several of his creatures made affidavit before Judge Austin A. King that a large body of armed men, whose movements and conduct he declared to be of a highly insurrectionary character, had been collecting in the county of Daviess under the leadership of Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight, to intimidate and take vengeance upon the other settlers, to drive from the county all the old citizens and possess their lands. He further averred that they had already committed great violence upon Adam Black by forcing him to sign a paper of a disgraceful character. This affidavit was made in Ray County; and on the 11th day of August a committee of citizens came from that place to Far West to make inquiry of the Saints concerning the charges therein made. It stands as a monument of disproof against the assertions of Peniston, that the citizens of Ray County did not hesitate to place themselves in the power of the "Mormons" and their Prophet—knowing full well, as they did from past experience, that the Saints were full of kind disposition toward all men who would treat them as fellow-citizens possessed of equal rights.

In answer to the inquiry of the committee from Ray the Saints appointed a delegation of seven men, to make a full explanation of the facts and to demonstrate to all fair-minded men their own innocence as well as the wrongs inflicted upon them.

On the 11th of August, 1838, the Prophet went to visit some brethren from Canada who had settled on the banks of the Grand River, and remained with them through the succeeding day, which was the Sabbath, offering such counsel as their situation required. On the 13th, while returning to Far West, he was pursued by some of the mobbers but managed to elude them. When within eight miles of Far West he was met by several of the brethren who had gone out to inform him that a writ had been issued by Judge King for his arrest and that of Lyman Wight, on a complaint made by Peniston. Calmly as one returning to his evening rest from the harvest field the Prophet went to his home, despite the fears and warnings of his friends. He remained there awaiting the coming of the officers for three days, and all the time being engaged in labor for the prosperity and protection of the community.

On the 16th of August, 1838, the sheriff of Daviess County, accompanied by Judge Morin, appeared and said that he had a writ to take Joseph into Daviess for trial, for the offense of visiting that county on the 7th of August. The sheriff was no doubt surprised to find the Prophet and to serve his writ without molestation, because a report had been spread by the mob that Joseph would not be apprehended by legal process. Joseph informed the sheriff that he always hoped to submit to the law of his country. The sheriff was impressed as well as astonished by the calm action and dignified deportment of the Prophet; and when Joseph expressed a wish to be tried in Caldwell instead of Daviess County, since he thought that the statute of the state gave him that privilege and justice for him in Daviess was out of the question, the sheriff declined to serve the writ and said he would go to Richmond to consult Judge King. Joseph promised to remain at home until the sheriff returned. The pledge was fulfilled; and when the officer got back he told Joseph that Caldwell was out of his jurisdiction and he would not act.

For the greater general prosperity, the Saints in the various parts of Caldwell County now organized under the Prophet's direction into agricultural companies, to enclose their lands into large fields. Joseph showed them how this plan would be economical and add facility to the tilling of the soil. So readily could this inspired man turn from the tragic tribulations of life to render to his brethren calm assistance in their daily labors!

On the 28th day of August, 1838, Adam Black made oath before a justice of the peace of Daviess County that he had been threatened with instant death by an armed force of more than one hundred and fifty men on the 8th day of August. He named several of the brethren whom he charged with aiding and abetting in the perpetration of the offense, and this was Black's revenge upon the Prophet who had detected him in an attempt to steal back the land which he had sold to the Saints.

The agitation in Daviess County and the perjuries of the foiled mobbers aroused Lilburn W. Boggs, of memory already infamous, who was now governor of the state; and he sent letters to General David R. Atchison and six other generals, ordering them to raise immediately within the limits of their divisions four hundred mounted men armed and equipped as infantry or riflemen. This act, which was ostensibly for the protection of good order, accomplished its wicked purpose. It aroused intense excitement and inflamed the desire of the mob to find an excuse for an attack upon the Saints, since they knew that the militia would be composed of men who hated the "Mormons" and would be willing to plunder them on the first opportunity.

Joseph saw the tendency of events and wrote at this time in his journal as follows:

There is great excitement at present among the Missourians, seeking if possible an occasion against us. They are continually chaffing us, and provoking us to anger if possible; one sign of threatening following another. But we do not fear them; for the Lord God, the Eternal Father is our God, and Jesus, the Mediator is our Savior, and in the great I AM is our strength and confidence. We have been driven from time to time, and that without cause, and been smitten again and again, and that without provocation, until we have proved the world with kindness, and the world proved us that we have no design against any man or set of men; that we injure no man; that we are peaceable with all men; minding our own business, and our own business only. We have suffered our rights and our liberties to be taken from us; we have not avenged ourselves for those wrongs. We have appealed to magistrates, to sheriffs, judges, to governors and to the President of the United States, all in vain. Yet we have yielded peaceably to all these things. We have not complained at the great God. We murmured not; but peaceably left all, and retired into the back country, in the broad wild prairie, in the barren and desolate plains, and there commenced anew. We made the desolate places to bud and blossom as the rose; and now the fiend-like race are disposed to give us no rest.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

JOSEPH VOLUNTEERS FOR TRIAL AND LYMAN WIGHT FOLLOWS—BEGINNING THE STUDY OF LAW—THE TRIAL BEFORE A COWARD JUDGE, WITH A PERJURED WITNESS—MILITIA CALLED OUT, BUT THE MOB PRACTICALLY DEFIES IT—BOGGS CONTINUES THE WORK OF OPPRESSION.

Angered at the frustration of their plots of force and legal treachery against the Prophet, the mob continued to spread reports in August and September of 1838, that he was defying the law and refusing submission to process of court. This perjured tale received additional credence among the uninformed from the fact that the Daviess County sheriff had failed to arrest him; though, as all should have known, this failure was no fault of Joseph. But the falsehood was bringing renewed menace upon the Saints. Upper Missouri erupted a lava stream of bad men into Daviess, Carroll, Saline and Caldwell Counties. Something must be done to turn aside the overflow or it would sweep over all the dwelling places of the Saints.

To stay the fiery river of hate, the Prophet offered himself as a sacrifice. On the fourth day of September, 1838, he volunteered, through his lawyers, Generals Atchison and Doniphan, to be tried before Judge King, in Daviess County. Lyman Wight, who had been charged with him, followed his example.

It was characteristic of this industrious Prophet, that on the day when he tendered his liberty and his life as a price for the physical and political redemption of his brethren, he began the methodical study of law. The anxiety natural to his position was unfelt. He had looked so often upon danger that its face was no longer terrible. And he knew that such learning as he should ever acquire must be gained in the midst of turmoil. He wanted to know the science upon which statutes were based, and to become learned in the knowledge of his country's constitution and enactments that he might the better minister temporal salvation to his fellowmen, and the hour when prison and even murder menaced him was as propitious as any he might ever see.

The time appointed for the trial in Judge King's court was Thursday, the 6th day of November, 1838. Joseph was there, but the case could not proceed, because the prosecuting witness was absent, and no testimony was forthcoming. The court adjourned for the day, and Joseph returned to his home, but the next morning he was again in attendance and the trial proceeded. Peniston prosecuted and Adam Black swore to everything which Peniston asked. He had been bribed by money, promises or threats, else he was incited by murderous hate, and he told things which manifestly could not have had any existence except in his false mind. He was the only witness against the defendants. In their behalf four reputable men testified, proving incontestably that Black's oaths were perjury and Peniston's complaint was a lie. Judge King admitted in private conversation that nothing had been proved against the Prophet and his companion, and yet he bound them over in bonds of $500. Without a murmur the Prophet and Lyman submitted and gave the necessary bail.

From the trial they were followed to Far West by two gentlemen who stated that they had come from Chariton County as a commission of inquiry in behalf of their fellow citizens. A demand had been made by the mobbers upon the residents of Chariton County for assistance to capture Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight, and a committee had been appointed by the fair-minded people of Chariton to investigate the situation. When these gentlemen saw that the real purpose of the request was to secure ruffian help to impoverish the defenseless Saints and drive them once again into the wilderness, they declared that they had been outrageously imposed upon by the demand of the mob, and they returned to their own county filled with sympathy and friendly feeling for Joseph and his brethren. Their findings they subsequently embodied in an affidavit.

An attack was planned by the mob upon Adam-ondi-Ahman; on the 9th a wagon laden with guns and ammunition in charge of a party of the murderous rabble was going to that place from Richmond. But it was intercepted by Captain William Allred, who arrested the men in charge, John B. Comer and two others—Miller and McHoney—and took possession of the weapons. A letter was addressed to Judge King immediately by the Saints, asking him what should be done with the prisoners and the captured munitions. This coward responded to turn the prisoners loose and let them receive kind treatment. He was the judicial officer who, to satisfy the mob instead of satisfying justice, had placed the Prophet and Lyman Wight under bonds when, by his own confession, not one illegal act could be proved against them. Concerning the guns he was reluctant to give advice, although he promised that they should not be taken from the Saints to be converted and used for illegal purposes.

Under the same date this unjust judge wrote to General Atchison to send two hundred or more men to force the "Mormons" to surrender. He well knew that the Saints were not in a rebellious or unlawful attitude, nor in a position to fight. They had not even the power to resist mobocratic aggression against themselves, to say nothing of being the assailants in any illegal movement.

On the 12th of September, the men who had been arrested while transporting guns to the mob in Daviess County, were held to bail for their appearance at the circuit court.

About the same time a large body of the mob entered De Witt in Carroll County, and warned the brethren to leave on pain of death.

William Dryden, justice of the peace in Daviess County, complained falsely to the Governor that service of process from his court, issued against Alanson Ripley, George A. Smith and others for threatening Adam Black, had been withstood.

General Atchison called out the militia of Clay and Ray Counties which, under the command of Brigadier-General Doniphan, marched to the timber on Crooked River, while he went with a single aide to Far West, the county seat of Caldwell, to confer with the leading men among the Saints. Here he was the guest of the Prophet.

Doniphan's troops had ostensibly been called into the field to suppress an insurrection and preserve peace. But instead of the military powers being used as a menace to the mob, it was operated as if the long-suffering Saints had been the aggressors. General Doniphan, a friendly, fair and kindly-disposed man, was acting under the Governor's orders, and the responsibility of his conduct falls chiefly upon the executive of the state. The mob prisoners were demanded and were set free with no regard for any other law than that which seemed to reign supreme in Missouri—the law of mobocratic will. The arms which had been seized on the way from Richmond into Daviess County were collected and delivered up to the General. From Crooked River General Doniphan brought his troops through Millport in Daviess County to the spot where a mob had congregated to make an attack upon the Saints. When the General read an order of dispersion to the rabble they declared that their object was solely for defense; and yet they would not even permit the General in command of the state militia to approach them without going through such military formalities as might have greeted a flag of truce from an opposing force, while all the time that he was conferring with them guards were marching in and out, showing that the camp was being kept in a state of activity. Although they promised to obey the order requiring them to withdraw, they failed to do so.

From this place the General proceeded to the spot where the Saints had assembled together for mutual protection under the direction of Lyman Wight. A conference ensued in which the Saints agreed to disband, to surrender up any one of their number accused of crime, on condition that the hostile forces of the mob, only a few miles distant, should be dispersed. The Saints had every wish to comply with the law and to avoid every appearance of resistance, but they knew too well that if they scattered, unless the mobbers were also disbanded, they would be murdered and plundered. General Atchison, also in command of troops, was joined on the 15th at the county seat of Daviess by General Doniphan and his regiments. He found that the mobbers were still under arms and still aggressive, while the Saints were still huddled together for safety. To him the Saints also stated their willingness to yield to any legal requirement, and they would cheerfully submit to any investigation which might be demanded. General Atchison thought that peace might be restored and so wrote to the Governor; but immediately Boggs ordered the Booneville guards to be mounted with ten days' provisions and in readiness to march on his arrival; and he also ordered General Lucas to proceed immediately with four hundred mounted men to co-operate with General Atchison. Similar orders were issued to Major-Generals Lewis Bolton, John B. Clark and Thomas B. Grant.

While this military movement was taking place the mob continued to seize prisoners and to send threatening messages, hoping to incite the Saints to some overt act that the whole power of the mob and militia combined might be brought against them to annihilate them. Several times word was brought to the encampment of the Saints that prisoners taken by the mob were being tortured. This was done in the hope to provoke a spirit of retaliation. It seems strange that this situation could have continued for more than a day with such a military force at hand. A little prompt and vigorous action would have dispersed the mob and taught them to respect the power of the law. It would not have been necessary to shed blood, only to let constitutional majesty be asserted; and the Saints might have remained in peace. But this was not the purpose. The troops really had been called out, not to protect the "Mormons," but to answer the lying call of a justice of the peace. This mighty power of war was brought into operation to apprehend two or three men, charged with a petty offense, and who had not resisted any attempt to serve legal papers upon them.

On the 20th of September General Atchison wrote to the Governor that the insurrection was practically ended; all the leading offenders against the law had been arrested and bound over to appear at court. It is noticeable that the people were called offenders, the plundering rabble going scot free. All of the troops, except two companies of the Ray militia under command of Brigadier General Parks, were discharged. In this same letter General Atchison said:

They [the Mormons] appear to be acting on the defensive, and I must further add, gave up the offenders with a good deal of promptness. The arms and prisoners taken by the Mormons were also given up upon demand with seeming cheerfulness.

This candid opinion was re-enforced a few days later by a letter from General Parks to the Governor, in which he uses the following expressions:

Whatever may have been the disposition of the people called "Mormons" before our arrival here, since we have made our appearance they have shown no disposition to resist the laws, or of hostile intentions. There has been so much prejudice and exaggeration concerned in this matter that I found things entirely different from what I was prepared to expect. When we arrived here we found a large body of men from the counties adjoining, armed and in the field, for the purpose, as I learned, of assisting the people of this county against the "Mormons," without being called out by the proper authorities.

P.S.—Since writing the above, I have received information that if the committee do not agree, the determination of the Daviess County men is to drive the "Mormons" with powder and lead.

Near the same time, General Atchison wrote to Governor Boggs as follows:

Things are not so bad in this county [Daviess] as represented by rumor, and, in fact, from affidavits I have no doubt your Excellency has been deceived by the exaggerated statements of designing or half-crazy men. I have found there is no cause of alarm on account of the "Mormons;" they are not to be feared; they are very much alarmed.

About the 26th day of September, 1838, a committee from the mob met some of the leading brethren at Adam-ondi-Ahman and entered into an agreement whereby the Saints were to purchase lands and possessions of all who desired to sell; but this resulted in nothing, for the mob had other purposes in view.

About fifteen or twenty of the Saints with Lyman Wight were pledged to appear before the court at Gallatin for trial on the 29th of September.

Hundreds of men drawn into the militia service of Generals Atchison, Doniphan, Parks, and Lucas were in personal affiliation with the mob. When the greater part of the forces were disbanded in Daviess County a general movement took place toward De Witt, in Carroll County. On their way the bandits breathed their murderous intent against the Saints; and before the onslaught, the brethren addressed a humble petition to Lilburn W. Boggs, imploring him to send succor, but he was deaf to the appeal. His ears were always open to the voice of the murderer; never to that of the victim. The mob could not ask him in vain for help; the injured Saints supplicated again and again without a reply. With the opening of October, the mob pressed hard upon the Saints in De Witt, threatening death to men, captivity to children and outrage to women.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

BOMBARDMENT OF DE WITT—APPEAL OF THE SAINTS TO GOVERNOR BOGGS—HIS HEARTLESS REPLY—JOSEPH'S PRESENCE ENCOURAGES THE BRETHREN—THE SAINTS LEAVE THEIR POSSESSIONS IN DE WITT—THEY GO TO FAR WEST—ADAM ONDI-AHMAN DEVASTATED—THE SAINTS ORGANIZE FOR DEFENSE—JOSEPH CONTROLS A MOB WHO DESIGN TO MURDER HIM—APOSTASY OF THOMAS B. MARSH—DEATH OF DAVID W. PATTEN—"WHATEVER YOU DO ELSE, OH, DO NOT DENY THE FAITH."

Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.

On the 5th day of October, 1838, word came to the Prophet of the bombardment of the town of De Witt, in Carroll County, by a mob army with muskets and artillery. The ravenous wretches, many of whom had been in the militia companies of Atchison, Doniphan and Parks, foiled for the moment in Daviess and Caldwell Counties, had concentrated upon the more remote and defenseless places for the purpose of plundering the Saints and driving them forth. As soon as Joseph heard the news he hastened to the scene of conflict. The rage of the mob naturally fell against him more heavily than against anyone else; but it was his nature always to be where danger threatened his brethren.

It was on the 2nd of October that the mob, under the leadership of Dr. Austin, Major Ashley, a member of the legislature, and Sashiel Woods, a Presbyterian clergyman, fired first upon the town of De Witt. They continued during that day and the next, when they were reinforced by two companies of militia under the command of Captains Bogart and Houston, who were soon followed by Brigadier-General Parks. It is not wrong to speak of these troops as a reinforcement of the mob. They were nothing else. Bogart was a Methodist preacher by profession, and only led the company of militia to De Witt for the purpose of wreaking the sectarian vengeance of a bigot upon the Saints. Parks himself confessed that Bogart's men would not be controlled and were with the mob in feeling; and this was the General's excuse for allowing the outrages of this time to go unchecked. On the 4th of October, after forty-eight hours of siege, the people of the town, in command of Colonel Hinkle, returned the fire. Parks made no effort to check the mob's plan of organized murder. On the 6th he coolly wrote in his report to Atchison, as follows:

The Mormons are at this time too strong and no attack is expected before Wednesday or Thursday next, at which time Dr. Austin [who with Bogart was leader of the mob] hopes his forces will amount to five hundred men, when he will make a second attempt on the town of De Witt, with small arms and cannon. In this posture of affairs I can do nothing but negotiate between the parties until further aid is sent me.

Evidently in this posture of affairs Parks wanted to do nothing. The "Mormons" were too strong. He would wait until Austin's rabble increased to five hundred, and by that time he hoped to have more companies of militia, which in turn would swell the ranks of the plundering besiegers. Parks' conduct indicates his utter lack of conscience; because in the same letter he says: "As yet they, the Mormons, have acted only on the defensive as far as I can learn."

General Lucas had been an observer of the gathering at De Witt and had been informed that a fight had taken place there, in which several persons were killed. Upon this he wrote to the Governor that if his information was true it would create excitement in the whole of Upper Missouri, "and those base and degraded beings will be exterminated from the face of the earth." He added that if one of the citizens of Carroll should be killed, before five days there would be raised against the "Mormons" five thousand volunteers whom nothing but blood would satisfy. Without attempting to suggest a remedy to Boggs, this cruel and sanguinary Lucas significantly informs his Excellency that his troops of the fourth division were only dismissed subject to further order and could be called into the field at an hour's warning. He wanted to share in the work of extermination!

These events had happened before the Prophet reached De Witt. It was a trying journey, in which he had been obliged to travel by unfrequented roads and had put his life in constant jeopardy because mobs guarded every ingress to the town. When Joseph entered the place he found the brethren only a handful in comparison to their assailants. Their provisions were exhausted, and there was no prospect of obtaining more. The Prophet concluded to send a message to the Governor and secured the services of several influential and honest gentlemen who lived in that vicinity and who had been witnesses of the wanton attack upon the Saints. These men were bold as well as honest for they made affidavit of the outrages which had been perpetrated within their sight, and they accompanied the supplication for redress to the executive office. The answer of the men who had been chosen by the suffrages of his fellow-citizens as the chief officer of the state, sworn to uphold its honor, protect its dignity and maintain the supremacy of its laws, was only this:

The quarrel is between the Mormons and the mob, and they may fight it out.

Joseph's presence was a solace and a sustaining power to the Saints. He animated them by the courage of his presence and taught them patience by his own tenacity of endurance. He was not there as a warrior; he did not bear arms; and yet he was a tower of strength to his brethren.

Mobs were gathering in from Ray, Saline, Howard, Livingston, Clinton, Clay, Platte and other parts of the state to reinforce the besiegers. For the combined assailants a man named Jackson was chosen as the leader. The Saints were forbidden to leave the town under penalty of death. It was the purpose to starve them, since even this large crowd of mobbers, outnumbering the Saints ten to one, feared to risk a hand to hand contest. Fires were set to some of the houses; the cattle were stolen and roasted; the horses were driven off; while the mob made merry in feasting within sight of the starving people whom they had plundered.

Joseph directed applications for protection to the judges of the circuit court and in other quarters but without avail; for where aid was given, it consisted of men willing to join and abet the mobs and to share in the spoils. In the town, men were perishing for want of food; women and children cried for bread. There was no hope of earthly succor.

In this crisis, Henry Root and David Thomas, two men who had been the sole cause of the settlement at De Witt, solicited the Saints to leave the place, claiming that they had assurance from the besiegers that, in such case, no further attack would be made and all the losses would be paid. Yielding to a necessity the Saints agreed to this proposition. A committee of appraisement was appointed from men not connected with the Saints. They placed a meagre value on the bare land, and said nothing about the houses and other improvements which were still standing or had been destroyed by the mob, and nothing about the stock and the vehicles which had been run off. It was, however, an unnecessary economy of valuation; because the price, meagre as it was, has never been paid.

On the 11th day of October, 1838, the Prophet and the Saints vacated De Witt and started for Caldwell with the small remnants of their possessions which they could gather and hope to convey. They were harassed continually on the journey by the mob which, in violation of its pledge, fired upon the retreating people. Among the exiles men died from fatigue and starvation—for the journey was greatly hurried because of the mobocratic threats; and one poor woman, who had given birth to a child on the very eve of the banishment, died on the journey and was buried in a grave without a coffin.

The experience at De Witt and on the journey from that place to Far West taught the Prophet and the Saints anew that they had no hope of protection, no hope of redress, while they remained in Missouri; and no hope that if they attempted to leave they would not be set upon and massacred by the blood-thirsty mob. Nothing was left them but to organize in some fashion for self defense, as they came fleeing into Far West from all the surrounding country, leaving their worldly all and glad to escape with their lives.

The tiger spirit of the mob had grown upon its food. As the brethren left De Witt, Sashiel Woods called many of the mobocrats together and invited them to hasten into Daviess County to continue their work there. He said that the land sales were coming on, and that if the "Mormons" could be first driven out the mob could get all the land entitled to preemption; besides, they could get back without pay the property already bought from them by the Saints. It was a welcome invitation, and, taking their artillery, this horde, with appetites whetted for their base and cruel work, departed for Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Other mobs were raised in other parts to join in this general movement for rapine, among the rabble being a man named Cornelius Gilliam who called himself Delaware Chief, with a party of miscreants painted to represent Indians.

When the Prophet arrived in Far West from De Witt, on the 12th day of October, General Doniphan informed him that a mob of eight hundred men was marching against the people in Daviess County. A small party of militia had been on the way and might have intercepted the rabble; but Doniphan ordered them back, knowing well that instead of hindering they would join the mob. He said: "They are damned rotten-hearted."

Pursuant to an order made by General Doniphan a company of militia was raised in the county of Caldwell to act under Colonel Hinkle and to proceed to Adam-ondi-Ahman for the protection of that place. Joseph went with the militia to give counsel to his friends, risking his own life again, and taking with him many who were willing to stand with him in martyrdom if need were.

At Adam-ondi-Ahman the scenes of De Witt were repeated. Houses were burned, cattle were run off, women and children were driven out and exposed to a terrible storm which prevailed on the 17th and 18th of October. In many cases people in ill health were torn from their beds and were refused time to secure comfortable clothing in which to make their flight. Among the fugitives was Agnes Smith, the wife of the Prophet's brother, Don Carlos, who was absent on a mission to Tennessee. Her house had been burned by the mob, her property seized, and she had fled three miles, wading Grand River and carrying all the way two helpless babes in her arms—glad to escape death and outrage.

Joseph's soul rose in arms at these crimes. The sacrifice had been sufficient. Every possible appeal had been made and denied. Henceforth the Saints must protect themselves, and God arm the right! It was this resolve alone which saved the remaining element of the Church that finally escaped from Missouri. At Adam-ondi-Ahman the mob intended to make a work of extermination; but after the arrival of the troops there, promises were demanded and secured from General Parks for the organization of a militia company to resist the attack and quell the mob. The force was immediately raised and placed under the command of Colonel Lyman Wight who held a commission in the fifty-ninth regiment under General Parks. These troops went out with a determination to drive the mob or die. They no longer fought in the state of Missouri for their rights as American citizens; that day had passed. They fought for life, for home, and for that which was dearer than all, the honor and safety of their wives and daughters who had been threatened with ravishment.

A remembrance of the day at Gallatin, when twelve had put one hundred and fifty to flight, suddenly came upon the mob as they saw the advancing forces of the Saints; and they fled. But fleeing, they resorted to stratagem. They removed everything of value from some of their own old log cabins and then set fire to these structures, afterwards spreading abroad through all the country the declaration that the "Mormons" had plundered and burned the mansions of law-abiding citizens.

An incident of this period shows the Prophet's calmness and self-command in the face of danger, as well as the influence of his presence even upon sworn enemies.

He was sitting in his father's house near the edge of the prairie one day, writing letters, when a large party of armed mobocrats called at the place. Lucy Smith, the Prophet's mother, demanded their business, and they replied that they were on the way to kill "Joseph, the Mormon Prophet." His mother remonstrated with them; and Joseph, having finished his writing and hearing the threats against himself, walked to the door and stood before them with folded arms, bared head and such a look of majesty in his eyes that they quailed before him. Though they were unacquainted with his identity, they knew they were in the presence of greatness; and when his mother introduced him as the man they sought, they started as if they had seen a spectre.

The Prophet invited the leaders into the house, and without alluding to their purpose of murder, he talked to them earnestly with regard to the persecutions against the Saints. When he concluded, so deeply had they been impressed, that they insisted upon giving him an escort to protect him to his home.

As they departed, one of the mob leaders said to another:

Didn't you feel strange when Smith took you by the hand?

And his companion replied:

I could not move. I would not harm a hair of that man's head for the whole world.

It was always so when men would listen to Joseph long enough to let the Spirit which animated him assert itself to their reason.

The extent of the unhallowed league against the Saints is shown by the fact that not even the United States mails were safe during this period, for every post was plundered and all letters addressed to the Prophet were opened.

Unable to bear the pressure and to face the terrors of the time, Thomas B. Marsh had apostatized and had joined with McLellin and other evil men to act the part of Judas against the Prophet. The faith of others also failed, and, thinking by apostasy to save themselves from the destruction which seemed impending, they came out against Joseph and the Church and went over to their enemies.

On the 24th of October, eight armed mobbers plundered a house some little distance from Far West and took three of the brethren prisoners, namely, Nathan Pinkham, William Seely and Addison Green. With much exultation, these brigands declared their intention to murder their prisoners that night. Learning of this awful boast, the judge of the county instructed Colonel Hinkle to send out a company to rescue the men and disperse their captors. Seventy-five of the militia, under command of David W. Patten, were directed by Hinkle to fulfil this order. In departing, Captain Patten announced his hope to rescue his unoffending brethren without shedding any blood and to bring them back to Far West. Fifty men of this company marched to the ford on Crooked River, where they came upon an ambuscade of the mob, who fired upon them, mortally wounding a young man named O'Banion. Captain Patten ordered a charge upon the enemy, at the same time shouting the watchword, "Our God and liberty!" The concealed mobocrats fired as the company rushed down upon them. A musket ball pierced the bowels of David W. Patten, fatally wounding him. At the same fire a shower of bullets struck Gideon Carter, who fell to the ground to die after a few moments of agony. So defaced was Carter by his many wounds, that later, when his brethren were gathering up their dead and wounded, they failed to recognize his body. Several others among the brethren were wounded. The others, even after the fall of their leader, dashed on in pursuit and put the mob to flight. The prisoners were rescued, but one of them was shot by the mob during the engagement. From them it was learned that Bogart had commanded the marauders and that his forces had been greater than those of the attacking party.

When the affray was over, David W. Patten—still alive, but gasping in mortal extremity—was lifted up by his brethren, and they carried him tenderly to his home.

A courier brought the news to Far West, and Joseph and Hyrum went out to meet the sorrowful cavalcade. Several were with Apostle Patten when he died that night, in the triumph of the faith. He had fulfilled his covenant to yield life rather than to yield the right. As he was departing, he spoke with holy exultation of the eternity opening to his view, and with sorrow of those traitorous Apostles and Elders who had forsaken the Saints to save their own lives and property. One of his last expressions to his wife was:

WHATEVER YOU DO ELSE, OH, DO NOT DENY THE FAITH.

Thus perished the first apostolic martyr to the cause of Christ in this dispensation. How much better his fate than that of the Judases who helped to bring him to his death!

At the funeral, Joseph stood in the presence of the assemblage, and, pointing at the noble form marred by the assassin's bullet, testified:

There lies a man who has fulfilled his word: he has laid down his life for his friends.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

BOGGS ISSUES AN ORDER OF EXTERMINATION—GENERAL ATCHISON'S THREAT AGAINST THE TYRANT—AVARD ORGANIZES THE DANITES—THE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE—FAR WEST BESIEGED—THREE NOBLE ONES REFUSE TO DESERT THEIR FRIENDS—COLONEL HINKLE'S BASE TREACHERY—"THESE ARE THE PRISONERS I AGREED TO DELIVER UP"—A COURT MARTIAL SENTENCES JOSEPH AND HIS COMPANIONS TO DEATH—GENERAL DONIPHAN'S NOBLE ACTION—DEMONIAC DEEDS ENACTED IN FAR WEST.

On the day of the martyr Patten's funeral at Far West, Lilburn W. Boggs issued to General John B. Clark an order of extermination against the Saints. His words were:

The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state, if necessary for the public good. Their outrages are beyond all description.

The excuse of this tyrant was the encounter between the militia, sent out by Colonel Hinkle under judicial endorsement, and Bogart's mobbers. How quickly Boggs could respond when any of his assassins were checked in their career of massacre and plunder! Before making his order of extermination he had already directed two thousand troops to be raised; and in his edict of death, entrusted to General Clark, he authorized any desired increase of forces. He also directed Major-General Wallock and General Doniphan, with one thousand men, to intercept the retreat of the Saints, should they attempt one, by this act proving that the Saints were not to be permitted to leave the state, and that his order of extermination was intended to be construed absolutely and without alternative. He had taken the command from General Atchison and given it to General Clark because the latter was more suitable to his purpose, since he feared that Atchison might have some qualms of conscience. Incensed at this official slight, at a later time, General Atchison declared in a public speech:

If the governor does not restore my commission to me, I will kill him, so help me God.

To make some show of palliation for this unparalleled act of atrocity, Boggs published the most infamous lies concerning the doings and intentions of the "Mormons," making it appear that they, a little handful of poverty-stricken exiles, were about to flood the state with a ruinous war. His stories were full of tragedy and bombast. They would have been too ridiculous to be believed for an instant, but that the infuriate element for whose incitement they were addressed were eager as he to plunge the knife into the heart of innocence.

All the vile characters in that section of the country soon flocked to the mob-organizations. The most diabolical combinations were formed: one of the worst being under the direction of Dr. Sampson Avard, one of the apostate spirits, who formed a band which he called Danites, to aid him in purposes of plunder and murder, which he intended to attribute to the Church, and thus furnish an excuse for the attacks upon his former brethren. But his plot was discovered by the Prophet, and Avard was publicly excommunicated, so that the world might know that the Church had no part in this infamy. His plan was, by this prompt action, defeated almost before it had birth.

By the 26th of October twenty-five hundred of the mob militia had congregated at Richmond, and from there they took up their march for Far West, robbing, plundering, shooting, and threatening ravishment by the way. It was such rare sport, this outrage of the innocents, that it drew an overwhelming force to execute the ghastly order of Boggs, the executioner at wholesale.

The executive decree of massacre fell like music upon the ears of the wicked mob. On Tuesday, the 30th of October, 1838, a party of two hundred and forty of them fell upon a few families of Saints at Haun's Mill on Shoal Creek, and butchered them. The awful particulars of that deed must be left, with many others of like character, for another publication now in course of preparation, since the scope of this volume will not permit of more than a general view of events, however important, in which the Prophet had no personal part. But one or two circumstances of that atrocious deed can be detailed to show the unquenchable thirst for blood of Boggs' emissaries. Among the Saints at Haun's Mill was one old man named McBride, who had fought for independence under General Washington. This veteran patriot the mob seized and shot with his own gun, then they slashed him to pieces with a corn cutter. Stalwart Missourians slew and mutilated little children, and afterwards boasted of their deeds. They even robbed the dead.

On the 30th day of October the mob army beleaguered Far West. Their ranks were constantly augmented, and during the ensuing week six thousand demoniac men had taken part against that city.

On the first day of the siege a messenger was sent into the town to demand three persons to whom amnesty was to be accorded, as the mob declared their intention to massacre all the rest of the people and lay Far West in ashes. Adam Lightner, John Cleminson and wife were these three persons. When the messengers offered them the chance of life they responded: "If the people must be destroyed, we will die with them."

Elder Charles C. Rich was sent out, bearing a flag of truce, to hold a conference with General Doniphan and others; but when he approached the camp of the besiegers, Bogart, the Methodist preacher, fired upon him.

The defenders of the city threw up a temporary fortification of wagons and timber on the south, for they were in hourly expectation of the attack.

About eight o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 31st day of October, a white flag approached the city from the camp of the mobbers.

Colonel George M. Hinkle went out to meet it and accompanied it back to the camp. What he did there ought to have made even a Judas blush. He returned at evening and said to Joseph that hope had arisen for the settlement of the difficulties, and that the presence of the Prophet and some of his leading friends was desired by the officers of the militia. Hinkle pledged his own honor and that of the besieging generals that no harm was intended or would be permitted against the brethren.

Always ready to meet personal danger in a just cause, the Prophet complied, and was joined by the men whom Hinkle designated: Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight and George W. Robinson. Led by Colonel Hinkle they proceeded toward the camp and were met by General Lucas with one piece of artillery and the whole army at his heels. At this moment Hinkle earned his thirty pieces of silver, for he said:

These are the prisoners I agreed to deliver up.

Lucas brandished his sword and ordered his men to surround the Prophet and his companions. A fierce and exultant yell burst from the throats of the mob, and horrid blasphemies poured from them in torrents. They would not wait for an order to butcher before assailing the Prophet, so eager were they to take his life; and several of them snapped their guns at him, but he was spared. Arrived at the camp, the prisoners were placed in charge of a strong guard of obscene and blasphemous wretches, who hour after hour profaned the name of God, mocked at Jesus Christ and boasted of having defiled virgins and wives by force. They demanded a miracle from Joseph, saying:

There is one of your brethren here in camp whom we took prisoner yesterday in his own house, and knocked his brains out with his own rifle, which we found hanging over his own mantel; he lies speechless and dying; speak the word and heal him, and then we will all believe.

Among the people who came to gloat over them was William E. McLellin, the apostate. He taunted them with their impending fate, declaring that there was no hope for them.

When the news reached Far West the people were appalled. They had feared for Joseph and his brethren, because they knew that to go out was to enter the lair of a monster; and now they felt that their worst fears were confirmed.

That night the Prophet and his friends lay upon the wet ground, chilled by the rains of dawning November and subject to the most cruel and exasperating insults. The next morning Hyrum Smith and Amasa M. Lyman were dragged from their families in Far West and brought as prisoners into the camp.

On the evening of November 1st, 1838, Lucas convened a court martial, over which he presided. It was composed of seventeen preachers and some of the principal officers of the mob army. Its purpose was to put the Prophet and his friends on trial for their lives, but not one of them was permitted to be present during any part of its deliberations. A few moments were sufficient for the promulgation of its edict, since no testimony was to be heard and no pleas admitted. The sentence was that Joseph and his companions should be shot at eight o'clock the next morning, November 2nd, 1838, on the public square at Far West in the presence of their helpless wives and little children.

When the sentence was passed, General Doniphan said:

I wash my hands of this thing; it is murder!

Then he ordered his brigade of troops off the ground, or he would not permit them to take part in the assassination. General Graham also resisted the sentence with honor and manliness.

After the adjournment of the court martial the Prophet demanded from General Wilson the reason why he should be shot, since he had always been a supporter of the constitution and the government of his country. Wilson's answer was:

I know it, and that is the reason why I want to kill you.

It was an absurdity to try by court martial, even if that body had been a legal and just tribunal, a man who had not borne arms nor engaged in warfare nor committed any overt act. Joseph was a licensed minister of the gospel, not a soldier. He belonged to the class recognized always and everywhere as non-combatant. Probably this was the reason why Lucas had seventeen preachers as members of the court, to give the proceedings an ecclesiastical air.

On this same day, November 1st, 1838, Lucas required the Caldwell militia to give up their arms. They only numbered five hundred men, all told; while the mob army numbered thousands. But the diabolical purpose which they had in view made it desirable to the attacking horde that no one in the city should have any power of resistance remaining. Lucas gave color to his demand by the fact that Hinkle, the betrayer, who had commanded the forces in Far West, had made a treaty by which the disarmament of the Caldwell militia was conceded.

The brethren were all marched out of the town and their weapons taken from them. Then gangs of miscreants were turned loose in Far West to work their will. They rushed through the streets like wolves, tearing and devouring whatever came in their way. Such deeds were done that day as would make a savage hang his head in shame. Property was seized and carried away without a pretext; houses were fired; the sick and the infantile were insulted and abused; the men were secured as prisoners; and women were outraged in sight of their helpless husbands and fathers.

The Prophet's house was singled out for a special attack; his family was driven out and all his property seized or destroyed.

The brethren who possessed real estate were brought before Lucas, and at the point of the bayonet, were compelled to sign deeds of trust of all their possessions to pay the expenses of the mob.

A more appalling instance of cruelty history does not record. An innocent people are ordered exterminated. But before proceeding to the final act of massacre the immolators demand their pay in advance from the victims.

It was an awful night at Far West; but more awful it was feared the morrow would be, for the sentence of death pronounced upon the Prophet and his fellow-captives was promised to be executed at eight o'clock the next morning.

CHAPTER XL.

THE PROPHET'S LIFE SAVED BY THE VANITY OF LUCAS—FAREWELL OF THE PRISONERS TO THEIR FAMILIES—ON TOWARD INDEPENDENCE—CONTINUED RAVAGES AT FAR WEST—GENERAL CLARK'S INHUMAN ADDRESS—THE MOVEMENT AGAINST ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN.

On the morning of Friday, November 2nd, 1838, in pursuance of the sentence of the secret tribunal of preachers and mobocrats—misnamed a court-martial—the Prophet and his fellow-prisoners were marched into the public square at Far West. But the brutal murder which had been decreed, did not take place. The failure of Lucas to enforce that part of the sentence was due in part to the manly rebellion of Generals Doniphan and Graham, and in part to his own wish to drag the Prophet and his brethren through the country and exhibit them as his captives. General Clark was expected immediately at Far West. He wanted the prisoners delivered to him; and jealousy worked in the mind of Lucas. It was esteemed a high honor to hold Joseph Smith in captivity; and Lucas was determined not to share this glorious trophy of war with another. What the tears of women and children, the innocence of men, and a sense of justice could not accomplish in this bad man's mind, was easily achieved by the base motives of envy and vanity. He wanted to be recognized as a victorious general, and the presence of the captives would add to the pageantry of his march. If greater notoriety could have been achieved or greater admiration for his prowess secured by the murder of these men at Far West, he would not have stayed his hand. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for a militia leader to cover himself with the dishonors of war. Less than a quarter of a century from that time, the state of Missouri and all its citizens had ample occasion to deal with real enemies and to view in every city and village, and every field and every forest, and in every home the misery of fratricidal strife. Men who had thirsted for blood were given more than a glut of it, for hundreds of them weltered in their own gore.

Lucas prepared to continue his triumphal march, intending to take the brethren to Jackson County and expose them as captives at Independence. Before they left they begged to be permitted to bid their families farewell. This boon, so estimable to them and so trifling to the mob, was ostensibly granted, but under conditions which showed an inhuman desire to torture. Every prisoner was permitted, under a strong guard, to seek out his beloved ones, but was forbidden to speak to them. He might gaze on them with tearful eyes and wave them farewell, a long farewell—forever, if he would; but no word from his lips might fall as balm upon their bruised spirits.

Hyrum, the Prophet's beloved brother, who was never very far away from Joseph, was one of the captives. Hyrum's young wife, Mary—for he was again a husband—was prostrated with suffering. When he was dragged before her by his armed captors he would have solaced her agony with a few words of comfort and cheer. He wanted to bid her look up and trust in God; but the mob soldiers threatened to kill him at her feet if he breathed a syllable, and to spare her tortured soul this awful pang he held his peace. Mary saw her husband carried from her, perhaps to death; she gathered the motherless little children of Jerusha about her and sought to comfort them. She did not see her noble husband again until after she had passed through the trial and pain of maternity; for her son, Joseph Fielding Smith, was born eleven days after, and while his father was still a captive in the hands of the mob.

To moan and weep over the captive Prophet came his wife and babes, and his aged father and mother. He had begged to have a moment in which to comfort his wife, for she was utterly overpowered with fear for his life. He wanted to reassure her that the sentence of death was not to be executed that morning and to promise her that they should meet again in this life. But the mob guards with their swords rudely thrust his wife and little ones away from Joseph's side, and threatened to kill him if he should speak.

Joseph gazed upon the overwhelming scene at Far West as he was being marched forth a captive. He commended the city and its people to the care of that God whose kindness had always followed them into the dark valley of tribulation, and who alone could protect them from death and defilement.

That night the Prophet with Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight, Amasa M. Lyman and George W. Robinson, were started for Independence. Under a strong guard, commanded by Generals Lucas and Wilson, they camped at night on Crooked River.

A vision of hope and security came to Joseph that night, and when he arose in the morning he spoke to his brethren in a low and cheerful tone, saying:

Be of good cheer, my brethren, the word of the Lord came to me last night that our lives should be given us, and that whatever else we might suffer during this captivity, not one of us should die.

An express from General Clark demanding the august prisoners reached Lucas at this point. This commanding general had so far achieved little, the triumphs of the cruel contest being with his subordinates. He was therefore determined that the prisoners should be dragged at his chariot wheels and that their slaughter should be under his personal direction, to show Boggs and the populace that he was worthy of the truculent enterprise entrusted to him. But Lucas was no less determined that, having won the victory, he himself should enjoy the spoils and the plaudits; and with all possible speed he hastened forward with the captives.

Leaving the Prophet and his companions advancing toward their unknown fate, we must return with their anxious thoughts to the proceedings at Far West; as General Clark was marching upon that place, and the prisoners feared for their unprotected families.

Lucas had sent several companies of the mob militia including Neal Gilliam's band of painted wretches under General Parks to Adam-ondi-Ahman with instructions to disarm the militia at that place and to take prisoners. By his orders also a large body of troops had been left to guard some eighty brethren held captive at Far West.

General Clark did not arrive at the beleaguered city until the 4th of November, 1838; but on that day he came at the head of two thousand troops. In the interval of two days the people in the town had been subjected to every possible indignity. Apostates prowled through the streets pointing out to the mob all the men of influence or station in the Church, and aiding to put them in irons. At first it had been ordered that all who were not held as prisoners should flee the city on the instant. But finally the mob concluded to keep the people within the town until General Clark's arrival.

It was a joy to the sectarian ministers of the neighborhood to see this work of ruin; and many of them visited Far West to exult over the prisoners and their suffering families.

Many privations and tortures were endured. The captives were kept without food until they were on the verge of starvation. The mob continued their work of ruin, hunting and shooting human beings like wild beasts; and ravishing and murdering women.

Upon Clark's arrival at Far West he selected fifty-six of the leading men and held them under a strong guard for trial, for what offense neither he nor they could tell. He also sent a messenger to the commander of the troops advancing to assault Adam-ondi-Ahman, requiring him to take all of the "Mormons" prisoners and to secure all their property to pay the damages of other citizens.

On the 6th day of November, 1838, Clark assembled the people and delivered an address to them as follows:

GENTLEMEN:

You whose names are not attached to this list of names will now have the privilege of going to your fields and of providing corn, wood, etc., for your families. Those who are now taken will go from this to prison, be tried and receive the due demerit of their crimes; but you (except such as charges may hereafter be preferred against), are at liberty, as soon as the troops are removed that now guard the place, which I shall cause to be done immediately.

It now devolves upon you to fulfill a treaty that you have entered into, the leading items of which I shall now lay before you. The first requires that your leading men be given up to be tried according to law; this you already have complied with. The second is, that you deliver up your arms: this has been attended to. The third stipulation is that you sign over your properties to defray the expenses of the war. This you have also done. Another article yet remains for you to comply with—and that is, that you leave the state forthwith. And whatever may be your feelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing to me. General Lucas (whose military rank is equal with mine), has made this treaty with you, I approve of it. I should have done the same had I been here. I am therefore determined to see it executed.

The character of this state has suffered almost beyond redemption, from the character, conduct and influence that you have exerted; and we deem it an act of justice to restore her character to its former standing among the states by every proper means. The orders of the Governor to me were, that you should be exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the state. And had not your leaders been given up, and the terms of the treaty complied with, before this time you and your families would have been destroyed and your houses in ashes.

There is a discretionary power vested in my hands, which, considering your circumstances, I shall exercise for a season. You are indebted to me for this clemency. I do not say that you shall go now, but you must not think of staying here another season or of putting in crops; for the moment you do this the citizens will be upon you; and if I am called here again in case of a non-compliance of a treaty made, do not think that I shall do as if I have done now. You need not expect any mercy, but extermination, for I am determined the Governor's order shall be executed.

As for your leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let it enter into your minds, that they will be delivered and restored to you again, for their fate is fixed, their dye is cast, their doom is sealed.

I am sorry, gentlemen, to see so many apparently intelligent men found in the situation that you are; and oh! if I could invoke that Great Spirit, THE UNKNOWN GOD to rest upon and deliver you from that awful chain of superstition, and liberate you from those fetters of fanaticism with which you are bound—that you no longer do homage to a man.

I would advise you to scatter abroad, and never again organize yourselves with Bishops, Presidents, etc., lest you excite the jealousies of the people and subject yourselves to the same calamities that have now come upon you. You have always been the aggressors—you have brought upon yourselves these difficulties, by being disaffected, and not being subject to rule. And my advice is, that you become as other citizens, lest by a recurrence of these events you bring upon yourselves irretrievable ruin.

The prisoners whom he had taken were sent by him to Richmond, in Ray County, for trial.

About this same time Boggs wrote a letter requiring Clark to finish the awful work which had been begun. He directed a movement against the Saints at Adam-ondi-Ahman and said:

My instructions to you are to settle this whole matter completely, if possible, before you disband your forces.

To fulfill this edict, Clark ordered General Wilson with his brigade to Adam-ondi-Ahman, although there were enough mob troops already there to furnish a special guard and a special executioner for every man, woman and child in the place. On the 8th of November a cordon was drawn about Adam-ondi-Ahman. A court of inquiry was instituted with the notorious Adam Black on the bench, and with a man from General Clark's army as prosecuting attorney. Not a thing could be proved against any of the brethren, except that they had been long-suffering victims of senseless hate, and they were acquitted; but not until a military order was prepared requiring them, one and all to vacate the place in ten days and to be outside of the state as early as the next spring or to be exterminated.

CHAPTER XLI.

JOSEPH PREACHES IN JACKSON AND FULFILLS HIS OWN PROPHECY—FAVOR IN THE EYES OF THEIR CAPTORS—DRUNKEN GUARDS—IN RICHMOND JAIL—MAJESTY IN CHAINS—CLARK'S DILEMMA—THE MOCK TRIAL—TREASON TO BELIEVE THE BIBLE—CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1838.

Early in the year 1838, while it was more than his life was worth for any Saint to penetrate Jackson County, the Prophet made a public prophecy that some one of the Elders would preach a sermon there before the close of the ensuing December.

Lucas crossed the ferry of the Missouri River from Clay into Jackson County with his prisoners on the night of Saturday, the 3rd of November, 1838. His march had been made with great expedition, because he feared to be overtaken by a further demand from his superior officer for the captives.

The next morning was the Sabbath; and the people along the road came out in their best attire to view the "Mormon" Prophet, for the news had preceded his advent, and the whole country was aroused. While they were yet in camp on that morning a number of ladies and gentlemen visited them; and one woman inquired of the guards, "Which of the captives is the Lord worshiped by the Mormons?"

The mobocrat pointed to Joseph with a significant smile and said, "That is he." After gazing upon the Prophet for a moment the lady candidly asked whether he professed to be the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Joseph answered:

I am only a man, a humble minister of salvation sent by the Redeemer to preach His gospel.

Astounded at this reply, so different from what she had been led to expect, the lady pressed question after question upon the Prophet. As he responded many listeners gathered around, including a company of the wondering soldiers; and there on that Sabbath morning, with hundreds of spectators and his captors for a congregation, the Prophet preached as impressive a discourse as ever before in his life. He set forth the doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism for the remission of sin, with a promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost—as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. And by this sermon was his own prophecy fulfilled.

His listeners were filled with strange emotions, this man spoke as no other had ever talked in their hearing. The woman who had first asked to see the Prophet was wrought upon by a spirit of conviction. When Joseph finished his remarks, she arose and praised God in solemn tones, and she went away praying that the Lord would protect and deliver His servants.

At ten o'clock of that Sunday morning, the entire brigade having crossed the river, the march was resumed. As they passed along the road hundreds of people flocked to see them, and General Wilson often halted the cavalcade to introduce his prisoners to the populace, pointing out each one of the captives by name. A few hours later the prisoners entered Independence surrounded by the exultant troops, who blew every instant triumphant blasts upon their bugles to arouse the inhabitants into a frenzy of joy. Rain was falling in torrents, but it could not extinguish the blazing hate and exultation of the mob as they paraded the Prophet through the streets of the city whence his brethren had been once driven from homes and growing wealth.

But soon after their arrival a reaction of feeling set in, and the prisoners began to be treated with some show of compassion. It is true they were badly lodged, closely guarded and exhibited every day as a victorious Roman general might have exhibited his captive kings; but they were fed, partly shielded from the severity of the season and were permitted to plead their cause and proclaim their belief to any interested listener.

The effect of their situation and their teachings was most amazing. Here in this region where they had once met cruelty in its direst shape and whither they had been brought in hourly peril of their lives, they awakened feelings of pity, respect and personal regard.

They were permitted occasionally to walk out in charge of a guard; and then they visited the spot dedicated for a temple, which had been denuded of its noble forests and now lay desolate, and also the place where had once stood the dwellings of the Saints, but not a vestige of these habitations remained, for they had been consumed by fire or carried away by plunderers.

After four days' imprisonment at Independence, and after repeated demands from Clark for their persons, it was decided to send them to Richmond, Ray County; but the officers, now become somewhat friendly, could not give them any light concerning the charges to be made against them. It was agreed that they were not to be tried by civil process, because none had been served upon them; it was also agreed that they could not be tried by court martial since they were civilians—amenable to civil law; martial law had not been declared, and they had not committed any military offense.

It was extremely difficult to secure guards to accompany the brethren to Richmond. None would volunteer, and when drafted from the ranks they refused to obey orders. The soldiers, impressed by the personality of the captives, and wrought upon by the spirit of mercy, wished the brethren to go at liberty. Hundreds of the men who had fought against them with bitterness now entertained for them the kindest feelings; and, besides, both officers and troops disliked to see General Clark secure the triumph so ardently desired by him. The view entertained by Lucas was shared by his officers and men and was stated to the brethren by General Wilson in the following words:

It was repeatedly insinuated by the other officers and troops, that we should hang you prisoners on the first tree we came to on the way to Independence. But I'll be damned if anybody shall hurt you. We just intend to exhibit you in Independence, let the people look at you, and see what a damned set of fine fellows you are. And more particularly to keep you from that G—d damned old bigot of a General Clark and his troops, from down country, who are so stuffed with lies and prejudice that they would shoot you down in a moment.

Finally, three men consented to escort the prisoners to Richmond, and on the morning of Thursday, the 8th day of November, 1838, they started on their journey. What a reflection it is upon the doings of that time that the officers in charge of these captives should entrust seven of them to three guards! Joseph and his brethren had been designated and treated as the most desperate men in the state of Missouri. The mob proved their own assertion to be false when they arranged the journey to Richmond. That afternoon, between Independence and Roy's Ferry, the three guards became drunk. As Joseph and his brethren had no physical restraint upon them, they could easily have killed their guard and escaped; but instead of doing this, they merely secured the arms and the horses, that the intoxicated soldiers might not injure themselves or their prisoners and that the steeds might not stray away.

After crossing the Missouri they were met by Colonel Sterling Price with a guard of seventy-four men, by whom they were conducted to Richmond and thrown into a vacant house closely watched. A few hours after their arrival General Clark visited them. When they demanded the reason why they had thus been carried from their homes, and demanded a statement of the charge made against them, the great General Clark, called an eminent lawyer, answered that he could not then determine what particular offense could be alleged against them, but would think the matter over. Immediately after he had withdrawn, Colonel Price came in with ten armed men and some chains and padlocks. The guards were ordered to stand with muskets ready to fire. Then the windows were nailed down, and a man named John Fulkerson, chained the seven brethren together and fastened the manacles with padlocks.

General Clark spent many hours trying to find some definite charge against the prisoners and trying to find some authority to arraign them before a court martial. The result of his researches is shown in a letter addressed to the Governor at that time, in which he says:

I have detained General White and his field officers here a day or two, for the purpose of holding a court martial, if necessary. I this day made out charges against the prisoners, and called on Judge King to try them as a committing court; and I am now busily engaged in procuring witnesses and submitting facts. There being no civil officers in Caldwell, I have to use the military to get witnesses from there, which I do without reserve. The most of the prisoners here, I consider guilty of treason; and I believe will be convicted; and the only difficulty in law is, can they be tried in any county but Caldwell? If not, they cannot be there indicted until a change of population. In the event the latter view is taken by the civil courts, I suggest the propriety of trying Joseph Smith and those leaders taken by General Lucas for mutiny. This I am in favor of only as a dernier resort. I would have taken this course with Smith at any rate; but it being doubtful whether a court martial has jurisdiction or not in the present case—that is, whether these people are to be treated as in time of war, and the mutineers as having mutinied in time of war—and I would here ask you to forward to me the Attorney-General's opinion on this point. It will not do to allow these leaders to return to their treasonable work again on account of their not being indicted in Caldwell. They have committed treason, murder, arson, burglary, robbery, larceny and perjury.

A more helpless state of mind than that of General Clark can scarcely be imagined. The document which has been quoted and which he closes with charges against the brethren of nearly all the offenses under the law—and yet does not know how to substantiate or legally punish a single one of them—proves that he was in a desperate state of mind.

He was determined that they should die and made his preparations for the commission of the murder before he had even decided what charge to bring against the prisoners. While this matter was pending, Brother Jedediah Grant, then a young man, put up at the same tavern with the General at Richmond. He saw Clark select the men to shoot Joseph and his fellow prisoners, and he heard the day of the execution fixed as Monday, November 12th, 1838. He saw the men who were selected load their rifles with two bullets each, and after this was done he heard General Clark say to them:

Gentlemen, you shall have the honor of shooting the Mormon leaders next Monday morning at eight o'clock.

Colonel Price, who had immediate charge of the prisoners, permitted all manner of abuse to be heaped upon them. They were kept chained together like wild beasts; left to lie upon the bare floor without any covering. When they might have forgotten their sufferings of body and mind in slumber, the inhuman guards kept them awake by yelling ribald songs and jests and by shrieks of laughter. Parley P. Pratt, who was one of the prisoners confined with Joseph, writes of one of these painful nights as follows:

In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep, till the hour of midnight had passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies and filthy language of our guards, Colonel Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the Mormons while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force wives, daughters and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women and children.

I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but I had said nothing to Joseph or anyone else, although I lay next to him, and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:

"Silence! Ye fiends of the infernal pit! In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still. I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die this instant!"

He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon, calm, unruffled, and dignified as an angel, he looked down upon his quailing guards, whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet until an exchange of guards.

I have seen ministers of justice, clothed in ministerial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended upon a breath in the courts of England; I have witnessed a congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms; but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon, in an obscure village of Missouri.

More than fifty of the brethren from Far West were also held in captivity at Richmond; failing to find authority or excuse for trying any of these men by court martial, Clark informed them that the whole party would be turned over to the civil authorities. A court was convened with Austin A. King presiding, and Thomas C. Burch the state's attorney, for the prosecution. The first act of this strange tribunal was to send out a body of mobocratic soldiers, armed with guns instead of civil process, to bring in witnesses, who, when they arrived, were sworn at the point of the bayonet. Nearly forty persons gave evidence for the prosecution. Though they all swore in a general way monstrous crimes against the accused, not one definite charge was maintained. When the defense were asked for their witnesses they named as many as fifty, any of whom could have disproved the accusations. Captain Bogart, the Methodist preacher, was sent out with a company of soldiers to procure these witnesses, and when he brought them in under arrest, they were thrust into jail and kept there until after the trial, without being accorded an opportunity to testify or to see the defendants.

One day, while the trial was proceeding, a man named Allen, who knew something of the facts and was there as an interested spectator, was called by the defense and sworn. As his testimony was favorable to the Prophet and the other prisoners, the mob set upon him in open court and tried to murder him. When he left the building he was pursued by mobocrats with loaded guns. Observing the outrages inflicted upon people who wanted to tell the truth, the Prophet and his brethren ceased to demand witnesses, preferring themselves to suffer than to involve other people in the toils of mobocratic hate.

The mock investigation continued from day to day until Saturday, November 24th, 1838, when all of the brethren were discharged except Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, Alexander McRae, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Morris Phelps, Luman Gibbs, Darwin Chase, and Norman Shearer, who were held for murder and treason.

The judge was a Methodist, and he had been particularly anxious to know whether the defendants believed in the prophecy of Daniel, that:

In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall break in pieces all other kingdoms, and stand forever.

And,

The kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the Saints of the Most High.

When it appeared clear that the prisoners believed in the Bible and in this particular part of it, their treason was established. The judge so decided in express terms and he then committed them; and as General Doniphan, who was present, remarked:

If a cohort of angels were to come down and declare the innocence of the prisoners it would be all the same; for King has determined from the beginning to throw them into prison.

King and Burch, the judge and prosecuting attorney, had sat in Lucas's secret tribunal in Far West which had sentenced the brethren to be shot; and they were anxious to take this new opportunity to wreak their vengeance. In open court the judge stated that there was no law to protect "Mormons" in the state of Missouri, and he was bound to aid the Governor's edict of extermination.

The prisoners had been kept in chains during the examination; and in chains they stood to hear the judgment of the court. It was that Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Sidney Rigdon be imprisoned in the jail of Clay County until delivered therefrom by due course of law. The others who were held were retained in Richmond jail.

Thus was the charge of treason maintained in that day; and upon the same grounds it has been repeated against the Saints down to the present time, for they still continue to believe that the Bible is the word of God.

Joseph and his companions were carried to Liberty, Clay County, in irons. As they entered the town considerable excitement prevailed among people desirous to view them. Arrived at the jail, they descended from the vehicle and walked up the steps to a landing or platform in front of the entrance of the prison building. Joseph wore a suit of black and had a cloak of dark colored material hanging on his arm. Hyrum followed him and the others stood close around. The gaze of the spectators was concentrated upon Joseph, and his majestic air made a deep impression upon them. One lady in the crowd cried: "Their Prophet looks like a gentleman!" Another looking at the group expressed the opinion: "Well, they are fine looking men if they are Mormons."

It was on the 30th day of November, 1838, that they were incarcerated in Liberty jail; and at once an order was made to cut off all communication between them and their friends, while every effort was put forth to drive away or frighten any witnesses whose testimony might be desirable for the defendants. And at the same time the threat went out through all that region that if judges or juries or courts of any kind should clear the prisoners, they would be slaughtered.

After a little time the rule concerning communications was relaxed, and Joseph was able to write to his brethren. In one of his letters, dated from Liberty jail, December 16th, 1838, he said:

But we want you to remember Haman and Mordecai: you know Haman could not be satisfied so long as he saw Mordecai at the king's gate, and he sought the life of Mordecai and the people of the Jews. But the Lord so ordered it, that Haman was hanged upon his own gallows. So shall it come to pass with poor Haman in the last days. Those who have sought by unbelief and wickedness, and by the principle of mobocracy, to destroy us and the people of God, by killing them and scattering them abroad, and wilfully and maliciously delivering us into the hands of murderers, desiring us to be put to death, thereby having us dragged about in chains and cast into prison, and for what cause? It is because we were honest men, and were determined to save the lives of the Saints at the expense of our own. I say unto you, that those who have thus vilely treated us like Haman, shall be hanged on their own gallows; or in other words, shall fall into their own gin and snare, and ditch and trap, which they have prepared for us, and shall go backwards and stumble and fall, and their names shall be blotted out, and God shall reward them according to all their abominations.

The people were making their preparations to leave the state; but in the meantime they addressed a memorial and petition to the legislature of Missouri, setting forth the wrongs and outrages committed upon them. These appeals were presented, but after an angry discussion they were laid upon the table. At the same time an appropriation of $200,000 was made to the mob to pay them for their crimes against the Saints.

This action was so outrageous that something must be done to distract public attention, and the mob element secured the publication of the most enormous falsehoods against the people. In these accounts the wickedness of the mob was disguised or denied. But the Prophet exposed them in the following words:

But can they hide the Governor's cruel order for banishment or extermination? Can they conceal the facts of the disgraceful treaty of the generals with their own officers and men at Far West? Can they conceal the fact that twelve or fifteen thousand men, women and children have been banished from the state without trial or condemnation? And this at the expense of two hundred thousand dollars—and this sum appropriated by the state legislature in order to pay the troops for this act of lawless outrage? Can they conceal the fact that we have been imprisoned for many months, while our families, friends and witnesses have been driven away? Can they conceal the blood of the murdered husbands and fathers, or stifle the cries of the widow and the fatherless? Nay! The rocks and mountains may cover them in unknown depths, the awful abyss of the fathomless deep may swallow them up—and still their horrid deeds stand forth in the broad light of day, for the wondering gaze of angels and men! They cannot be hid.

The year drew to a close. The Saints were impoverished and scattered. The Prophet and his companions, loaded with chains, were in a noisome dungeon; several times they were poisoned, and, during a period of five days, human flesh was served to them as meat. The guards called it "Mormon beef," and the Prophet warned his companions not to touch it.

The earth was wrapped in gloom for the people of God when the sun sank for the last time upon the year 1838; but beyond and above this sphere was the star of eternal faith, whose light no prison walls could shut out from trusting souls.

CHAPTER XLII.

THE PLEDGE FOR THE POOR SAINTS IN MISSOURI—BRIGHAM YOUNG DRIVEN FORTH—EFFORTS TO SECURE THE PROPHET'S RELEASE—REMOVAL TO GALLATIN— EXAMINATION OF THE CASE BY A DRUNKEN JURY—WHOLESALE INDICTMENT—CHANGE OF VENUE TO BOONE—ESCAPE FROM MISSOURI TO ILLINOIS.

With the dawn of 1839, a pledge was given by many of the brethren in Missouri that they would assist each other and assist the poor to escape from the state; and the promise was sacredly redeemed.

But the persecution did not cease. Brigham Young who had been chosen president of the Twelve in place of Thomas B. Marsh, an apostate, was driven out of Far West by mobs that sought his life. He with other fugitive Saints went to Illinois, and the charitable people of Quincy, Adams County, extended to the persecuted people a hand of kindness.

In January, Heber C. Kimball and Alanson Ripley went to Liberty and began to importune at the feet of judges for relief for their suffering Prophet and brethren in prison. One Judge Hughes believed that they were pleading the cause of the innocent and wanted the captives admitted to bail; but his associates were hardened and would not consent. The two supplicants were soon compelled, by mob fury, to desist from their importunities and were driven away from Liberty.

A writ of habeas corpus was secured about the close of January to bring the prisoners before Judge Turnham. An examination was held, but it was a farce. Nearly all the officers of the law, if not in league with the mob, were in terror of its power. Sidney Rigdon alone was released at the hearing upon the writ; but he had to return to jail because the rabble swore they would kill him if he were turned loose. A little later Sidney was let out of the prison secretly in the night by a friendly jailor, and he escaped to Quincy.

The families of Joseph, Hyrum and the other captive brethren gathered up to Quincy after undergoing the most appalling privations. It was Stephen Markham who escorted Emma, Joseph's wife, and their children from Far West, through all the dangers of Missouri and to a place of safety. The Saints were arriving there in large numbers during the winter and early spring, but were not decided yet where to settle.

On the 15th day of March the Prophet and the other brethren in Liberty jail made petitions to the judges of the supreme court for writs of habeas corpus, by which they hoped to have the proceedings of their imprisonment examined; but they were obstructed by the hatred against them. It was evident that the purpose of their enemies was to withhold judicial hearing until after the brethren had suffered death in prison. And their efforts from this time on during their captivity were continuous to secure such hearing.

A conference was held at Quincy on the 17th of March, 1839, over which Brigham Young presided as the head of the Twelve. Thomas B. Marsh and several other persons of some prominence were excommunicated from the Church.

A gathering place for the Saints was necessary. This the Prophet felt every hour. While he was in prison in Liberty the brethren had friendly communication with one Dr. Isaac Galland upon the subject of settlement by the Saints in Iowa Territory and at Commerce, Illinois. From his dungeon the Prophet pressed the Elders to make a close examination of this matter, as the springtime was at hand and the crops for the year must be planted.

In prison, Joseph was in constant communion with the heavens and he received revelations, without which he and his brethren must have been cast down and without hope. He also sent epistles full of instruction and hope to leading men among the Saints. And his cheerful courage under the most trying circumstances of his life was very helpful in animating the banished people to pursue their migration with energy and fortitude.

While the Prophet and companions were still in Liberty jail, and after having repeatedly and vainly sought release by law, they thought they saw an opportunity to escape. At Hyrum's instance Joseph prayed to the Lord and asked if it were His will that they should depart from prison. The answer came to the Prophet that if they were all agreed in faith and purpose they might escape that night. When this response was made known, all of the brethren except Lyman Wight coincided in the opinion that they should seize their liberty, for they relied implicitly upon the promise given. But Lyman trembled, hesitated; and, as his companions would not resolve to leave him and as the promise of the Lord was based upon their unanimity, they resolved to wait until the next night as Lyman Wight agreed to then accompany them. The delay was fatal; they broke the conditions of the promise and remained in durance. On the night for which the promise was given the jailer came in alone with their suppers and left the doors wide open, so that they might easily have escaped. The next night he brought a double guard with him and also six visiting brethren. As the jailor was leaving their dungeon some of them attempted to follow him; but they were foiled. The guards were so enraged at the effort, although it had been a vain one, that they locked up the visiting brethren and made threats against their persons and property. The attempt to escape created great excitement; and the people of the town swarmed around the jail proposing various plans to destroy Joseph and all his companions. But the Prophet told his brethren to have no fear; not a hair of their heads should be harmed, and the brethren who had come in to comfort them should not lose any of their personal belongings—not even a horse or a saddle. He told them that they had risked their lives to bring joy to himself and companions and the Lord would bless them. These promises were fulfilled to the letter.

When the visiting brethren were called for trial, Brother Erastus Snow, who was one of them, plead their cause as he had been counseled by Joseph. He did so in such a forcible and eloquent manner that orders of discharge in some cases and orders for bail in the others were immediately entered. Elder Snow's argument had been so strong and logical in its legal deductions that the lawyers who heard him supposed that he was a trained attorney.

Many enemies of the Prophet were permitted by the guard to visit and insult him in prison. It was their habit to charge him with murder. Several different men accused him of having killed their sons at the battle of Crooked River; several more, who were no kin to each other, charged him with having killed their brothers in the same battle. And this was the texture of the accusations made against him in and out of court. It had been alleged that only one man was killed at the battle of Crooked River, so it was impossible for several different men to lose sons and brothers there; and Joseph was not near the scene of that contest.

On one occasion a company under the leadership of William Bowman made solemn oath that they would never eat or drink more until they had taken the life of Joseph Smith. Bowman himself went to one of the Elders and made this boast:

After I once lay eyes on your Prophet I will never taste food or drink until I have killed him.

As these men all saw the Prophet soon afterward, and as he lived more than five years from that time, they either broke their oath or endured a long fast.

Before Brigham Young was driven out of Missouri into Illinois he went with Elders Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith to see the Prophet in prison. Joseph enjoyed two visits with them; and when they left him they were much affected and were determined to do something further for his release. In the latter part of March, Elders Heber C. Kimball and Theodore Turley, carrying with them the papers in the case, went to see the Governor. As Boggs was absent from the capital the secretary of state reviewed the documents; and he was amazed that any man should be held in custody upon such papers, for they were in every sense illegal, insufficient and absurd. However, nothing was done from the executive office to relieve them; and Elders Kimball and Turley then applied to the supreme court judges for a writ of habeas corpus but without avail. When these devoted men returned to Liberty and reported the failure of their mission, the Prophet bade them be of good cheer and said:

We shall be delivered; but no arm but that of God can save us now. Tell the brethren to be of good cheer and to get the Saints away from Missouri as soon as possible.

On Saturday, the 6th day of April, 1839, Judge King ordered the Prophet and his fellow-prisoners off to Gallatin, Daviess County. This judicial autocrat feared a change of venue or some movement from a superior tribunal to secure the release of the prisoners or their removal from his personal power, and he determined to carry them away from Liberty. He sent them under a guard of ten men, promising the brethren that they should be permitted to go through Far West to see their friends, as that place was directly on their route. Instead, however, of fulfilling his promise, the guards carried the captives eighteen miles out of the direct course to avoid the city, dragging them through a dangerous country, apparently in the hope that some of their sworn enemies would fall upon and massacre them.

The journey to Gallatin was very painful, for Joseph and his brethren had been greatly enfeebled by their long confinement and the privations which they had endured while enchained in Liberty dungeon. Before they had started on this journey, some of the captive brethren had desired to have a party of friends to accompany them for protection. But as they never did anything without asking the Prophet, they consulted him upon this point. He responded:

In the name of the Lord, if we put our trust in Him alone we shall be saved and no harm shall befall us, and we shall be better treated than ever before since we have been prisoners.

Although this surprised the brethren, it satisfied them. But when they arrived at the place where the court was to be held at Gallatin, they began to think the Prophet had been mistaken for once, for the rabble rushed out upon them shrieking, "Kill them; ———— ———— them, kill them!" There was apparently no chance for escape except to fight, and they were unarmed. At this instant the Prophet rose to his feet and said:

We are in your hands; if we are guilty, we do not refuse to be punished by the law.

Some of the bitterest mobocrats hearing these words and being impressed by the power with which they were uttered, warned the blood-thirsty rabble back and quieted the storm. During the time of their stay in Gallatin the Prophet's promise was fulfilled; for they enjoyed all the comforts and some of the luxuries of life, tendered them by men who sympathized with their long-suffering and patient endurance. The day after their arrival at Gallatin, an examination of their case commenced before a drunken jury. Austin A. King, who acted here as the presiding judge, was as drunk as the jurymen. The same perjured testimony was invoked at this time as on previous occasions. Everything which was prejudicial to the prisoners, even when it was a patent falsehood, and even when, if true, it could have had no relevancy to the case, was eagerly seized and applauded. Stephen Markham desired to testify to some facts which were favorable to the defendants. He had reached Gallatin on the afternoon of the 9th, having hastened from Far West, swimming several streams by the way, to bring money and comfort to the Prophet and his companions. At his request his testimony was received. It did not suit the mobocratic guards, and they attempted to kill him. The notorious Colonel William P. Peniston was one of their number. Judge King and all the members of the grand jury saw the attack upon Markham, and the threats against his life, but they took no cognizance of these outrages.

On the 11th of April, 1839, the grand jury brought in a bill against Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin and Lyman Wight for "murder, treason, burglary, arson, larceny, theft and stealing." All of these counts were embodied in one indictment, and not one of them was sustained by any specific statement of circumstances. The language of the bill proves that the grand jury, like General Clark, had failed to find a definite charge which they could substantiate, and so included everything which they could think of. That night Elder Markham stayed with the brethren and while he slept a vision came to Joseph, showing him that his beloved Brother Markham was in peril of his life, at the same time showing him that his own deliverance and that of his captive companions, was nigh. The Prophet aroused Stephen and told him to hasten away from Gallatin, because if he waited until broad day—according to his expectation for the purpose of meeting the lawyers—he would be waylaid by a mob which intended to assassinate him. Stephen knew that the warning was from the Lord and he fled, thereby baffling the mobocrats who, as shown to Joseph in the vision, had really made their plot to kill Stephen. After he was gone, an armed party pursued him a long distance on the road to Far West; but they were unable to overtake him.

Elder Alexander McRae, who was a prisoner with Joseph at this time, says that it was the Prophet's characteristic to always defend his companions no matter how unpopular it might be to speak in their favor. He was much more solicitous for them than for himself. And as an illustration Brother McRae says that while they were at Gallatin, Peniston began to insult one of the captive brethren. Joseph darted a glance of lightning upon the wretch and said in tones of thunder: "Your heart is as black as your whiskers."

Peniston threw his hand over his beard, which was as black as a crow and rushed from the room quaking in every limb.

Elder Markham had left with the brethren a recent statute which enabled them to secure a change of venue upon their own affidavit; and after the mock examination in Gallatin the Prophet and his companions procured a change of venue to Boone County, for which place they departed on the 15th day of April, 1839, under charge of a strong guard. On the evening of the 16th, while pursuing their journey, all of the guards became intoxicated. It was a favorable moment for an escape, and the brethren seized the opportunity. The Prophet's reasons for consenting to this escape were stated by him at the time in the following language:

Knowing the only object of our enemies was our destruction, * * * we thought that [escape] was necessary for us, inasmuch as we love our lives, and did not wish to die by the hands of murderers and assassins; and inasmuch as we love our families and friends.

By this act the brethren took their change of venue from the state of Missouri to the state of Illinois. After indescribable hardships, traveling by night and suffering all manner of privations, they arrived in Quincy, Illinois, and met the congratulations of their friends and the embraces of their families.

Reviewing the awful experience through which he and his fellow captives had passed, Joseph wrote on the day of his arrival at Quincy as follows:

We were in their hands, as prisoners, about six months; but notwithstanding their determination to destroy us, * * and although at three different times (as we were informed) we were sentenced to be shot, without the least shadow of law (as we were not military men) and had the time and place appointed for that purpose, yet through the mercy of God, in answer to the prayers of the Saints, we have been preserved and delivered out of their hands, and can again enjoy the society of our friends and brethren, whom we love and to whom we feel united in bonds that are stronger than death, and in a state where we believe the laws are respected, and whose citizens are humane and charitable.

During the time we were in the hands of our enemies, we must say that although we felt anxiety respecting our families and friends, who were so inhumanly treated and abused, and who had to mourn the loss of their * * * slain, and, after having been robbed of nearly all that they possessed, be driven from their homes, and forced to wander as strangers in a strange country, in order that they might save themselves and their little ones from the destruction they were threatened with in Missouri, yet as far as we were concerned, we felt perfectly calm, and resigned to the will of our Heavenly Father. We knew our innocency, as well as that of the Saints, and that we had done nothing to deserve such treatment from the hands of our oppressors. Consequently, we could look to that God who has the hearts of all men in His hands, and who has saved us frequently from the gates of death, for deliverance; and notwithstanding that every avenue of escape seemed to be entirely closed, and death stared us in the face, and that our destruction was determined upon, as far as man was concerned, yet from our first entrance into the camp, we felt an assurance that we, with our families, should be delivered. Yes, that still small voice, which had so often whispered consolation to our souls, in the depths of sorrow and distress, bade us be of good cheer, and promised deliverance, which gave us great comfort. And although the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things, yet the Lord of Hosts, the God of Jacob, was our refuge, and when we cried unto Him in the day of trouble, He delivered us; for which we call upon our souls to bless and praise His holy name. For although we were troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE EXODUS COMPLETED—A FRAGMENT OF ITS AGONIES—THE WOES OF A MARTYR'S WIDOW, A TYPE OF THE GENERAL SUFFERING—THREAT THAT ONE OF JOSEPH'S PROPHECIES SHOULD FAIL—BUT IT IS FULFILLED BY COURAGEOUS APOSTLES—MISSOURI'S PUNISHMENT AND ATONEMENT.

The agony of the exodus from Missouri cannot be described. Many of the brethren had been killed; many more were in prison; and all the rest were pursued with vindictive hate and threats of death. But for the spirit of mutual help which prevailed, the half of the stricken Saints must have perished by massacre or starvation in Missouri. A pitiful picture of some of the trials they endured was drawn by Sister Amanda Smith, a survivor of the Haun's Mill massacre. The mob had killed her husband and one son and had dangerously wounded another of her children.

She says:

They [the mob] told us we must leave the state forthwith or be killed. It was cold weather, and they had our teams and clothes, our men all dead or wounded. I told them they might kill me and my children and welcome. They sent word to us from time to time, saying that if we did not leave the state they would come and kill us. We had little prayer meetings; they said if we did not stop these, they would kill every man, woman and child. We had spelling schools for our little children; they said if we did not stop these they would kill every man, woman and child. We [the women] had to do our own milking, cut our own wood; no man to help us. I started on the 1st of February for Illinois without money; mobs on the way; drove our own team; slept out of doors. I had five small children; we suffered hunger, fatigue and cold.

This is one scene by which the whole Missouri tragedy of that day may be judged.

Some time after the Saints had completed their exodus Hyrum Smith epitomized the awful events in the following words:

Governor Boggs and Generals Clark, Lucas, Wilson and Gilliam, also Austin A. King, have committed treasonable acts against the citizens of Missouri, and did violate the constitution of the United States and also the constitution and laws of the state of Missouri, and did exile and expel, at the point of the bayonet, some twelve or fourteen thousand inhabitants of the state, and did murder some three or four hundred of men, women and children in cold blood, in the most horrid and cruel manner possible. And the whole of it was caused by religious bigotry and persecution, and because the Mormons dared to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, and agreeably to His divine will, as revealed in the scriptures of eternal truth.

The Prophet himself bore testimony that the conduct of the Saints under their accumulated wrongs and sufferings was most praiseworthy. He had observed them from within his prison walls, and after the order of exile was fully enforced he wrote:

The courage of the Saints in defending their brethren from the ravages of the mobs, their attachment to the cause of truth, under circumstances most trying and distressing which humanity can possibly endure; their love to each other: * * * their sacrifice in leaving Missouri and assisting the poor widows and orphans and securing them homes in a more hospitable land; all combine to raise them in the estimation of all good and virtuous men, and has secured them the favor and approbation of Jehovah, and a name as imperishable as eternity. And their virtuous deeds and heroic actions, while in defense of truth and their brethren, will be fresh and blooming when the names of their oppressors shall be either entirely forgotten, or only remembered for their barbarity and cruelty.

On the 5th day of April, 1839, Captain Bogart, who was now the county judge of Caldwell, with a number of apostates and mobocrats, visited Elder Theodore Turley, in Far West, and called his attention to the revelation given through Joseph Smith, July 8th, 1838, in which the following passage occurs:

Let them [the Twelve] take leave of my Saints in the city of Far West on the 26th day of April next, on the building spot of my house, saith the Lord.

Bogart and his companions said to Elder Turley:

As a rational man, you must give up the claim that Joseph Smith is a prophet and an inspired man; the Twelve are scattered all over creation; let them come here if they dare: if they do, they will be murdered. As that revelation cannot be fulfilled, you must now give up your faith. This is like all the rest of Joseph Smith's damned prophecies.

Elder Turley rebuked them with such manliness and power of the Spirit that John Whitmer, one of the apostates who was present, hung his head in shame.

But the Lord God Almighty would not permit one jot or tittle of His promise to fail; He had servants with the courage and fidelity to perform His command. At 1 o'clock in the morning of the 26th day of April, 1839, the day promised in the revelation, seven of the Twelve Apostles, a majority of the quorum, held a conference on the temple site at Far West; and the master workman laid a corner stone of the foundation of the Lord's house. After the inspiring services were ended, the Twelve took leave of the congregation of the Saints, as had been promised.

It was at this conference that Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith were ordained to the Apostleship. Brigham Young presided over the meeting and John Taylor was its clerk.

President Brigham Young, in speaking of this matter in his history, details the following incident:

As the Saints were passing away from the meeting, Brother Turley said to Page and Woodruff, "Stop a bit, while I bid Isaac Russell good-bye;" and knocking at the door called Brother Russell.

His wife answered, "Come in, it is Brother Turley."

Russell replied, "It is not; he left here two weeks ago," and appeared quite alarmed; but on finding it was Turley, asked him to sit down; but he replied, "I cannot; I shall lose my company."

"Who is your company?" inquired Russell.

"The Twelve."

"The Twelve!"

"Yes. Don't you know that this is the twenty-sixth, and the day the Twelve were to take leave of their friends on the foundation of the Lord's House, to go to the islands of the sea? The revelation is now fulfilled, and I am going with them."

Russell was speechless, and Turley bid him farewell.

Thus was this revelation fulfilled, concerning which our enemies said, if all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled, that one should not, as it had day and date to it.

After the fulfillment of this prophecy, none of the Saints had any desire to remain longer in the state of Missouri, and the last remnant, except such as were held in chains and dungeons hastened away to join their brethren in Illinois and to find a new place of gathering. And a few months later, after undergoing thrice the tortures of death, Parley P. Pratt and the other captives had all been released.

The turbulent spirits in Missouri had conquered, overriding law and justice and trampling humanity into the dust. This is not the place for a review in detail of all the sufferings of the Church of Jesus Christ in that region; but when the chapter shall be written, it will be as tragic as anything in American history.

The edict of exile was made and enforced, and so far as the Saints were concerned, the deed ended there; but not so with the state of Missouri, for the wrong committed remained to plague and wreak its vengeance upon guilty and innocent alike. The demon conjured into power by the murderous and plundering element of that region, would not down. When there were no "Mormons" to persecute, the turbulent spirits of the border at times fell upon each other and at other times fell unitedly upon law-abiding, prosperous citizens. Missouri became deeply involved in the Kansas troubles, in which the lawless, mobocratic element took bloody part; and when the Civil War opened, the government of Missouri, from the executive office down, became a chaos. The man who occupied the place disgraced by Lilburn W. Boggs, was a secessionist, and fled from his capital to lead the state militia at Booneville against the Union troops. The national power triumphed, and the governor and his forces, among which were many of the old mobocrats, were utterly routed. The offices which had once been disgraced by cowards were now declared vacant by an arbitrary decree of a state convention in sympathy with the Republic, one and indivisible. The state was declared out of the Union by the secessionist governor, and then became the theatre for a fratricidal strife which deluged it with blood.

On the 31st day of August, 1861, General John C. Fremont, then in command of the western department, declared martial law in the state of Missouri, and proclaimed free the slaves of all persons who had taken up arms against the United States. It was a wonderful retribution that Missouri, in which the mob had declared as a pretext for their assaults upon the Saints that the latter were Abolitionists, should be the first state in which an edict of manumission went forth. It is also a wonderful retribution that the state in which the civil power had once been helpless to protect law-abiding citizens, should, only five months after the breaking out of the war, have its civil power abrogated and all its people placed under martial rule. Some of the statements in Fremont's proclamation show with startling significance the character of that evil population which had been rewarded by the state for expatriating the Latter-day Saints.

The General says:

Circumstances in my judgment of sufficient urgency, render it necessary that the Commanding General of this Department should assume the administrative powers of the state. Its disorganized condition, the helplessness of its civil authority, the total insecurity of life, and the devastation of property by hands of murderers and marauders, who infest nearly every county in the state, and avail themselves of the public misfortunes and the vicinity of a hostile force to gratify private and neighborhood vengeance, and who find an enemy wherever they find plunder,—finally demand the severest measures to repress the daily increasing crimes and outrages, which are driving off the inhabitants and ruining the state. In this condition, the public safety and the success of our arms require unity of purpose: without let or hindrance, to the prompt administration of affairs.

In order, therefore, to suppress disorders, to maintain as far as now practicable the public peace, and to give security and protection to the persons and property of loyal citizens, I do hereby extend, and declare established, martial law throughout the state of Missouri. The lines of the army of occupation in this state are for the present declared to extend from Leavenworth, by way of the posts of Jefferson City, Rolla and Ironton, to Cape Girardeau, on the Mississippi River.

All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these lines shall be tried by court martial, and if found guilty, will be shot.

Upon the subject of the slaves, in the same proclamation, the General says:

The property, real and personal, of all persons in the state of Missouri who shall take up arms against the United States, and who shall be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use; and their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.

And in enforcement of his proclamation to set the negroes free, he issued deeds of manumission, of one of which we are able to present a copy:

Deed of manumission.—Whereas, T. L. S., of the city and county of St. Louis, Missouri, has been taking active part with the enemies of the United States in the present insurrectionary movement against the government of the United States, Now, therefore, I, John Charles Fremont, Major-General, commanding the Western Department of the Army of the United States, by authority of law, and the power vested in me, as such Commanding-General, declare Frank Lewis, heretofore "held to service" or labor, by said T. L. S. to be free, and forever discharged from the bonds of servitude; giving him full right and authority to have, use and control his own labor or service as to him may seem proper, without any accountability whatever to said T. L. S., or any one to claim by, through or under him. And this Deed of Manumission shall be respected and treated by all persons and in all courts of justice, as the full and complete evidence of the freedom of said Frank Lewis.

In testimony whereof this act is done at St. Louis, Missouri, this 1st day of September, 1861, as is evidenced by the departmental seal hereto affixed by my order.

(Signed), JOHN C. FREMONT.

Horace Greeley, in his American Conflict, speaks of "Missouri, betrayed by Jackson" (the governor). Referring to the spectacle of anarchy and treason exhibited by the seceding states, Greeley reaches the culmination with Missouri and uses the following words:

We are now to contemplate more directly the spectacle of a state plunged into secession and civil war, not in obedience to, but in defiance of, the action of her convention and the express will of her people—not, even, by any direct act of her legislature, but by the will of her executive alone. * * * The state school fund, the money provided to pay the July interest on the heavy state debt, and all other available means, amounting in the aggregate to over three millions of dollars, were appropriated to military uses, and placed at the disposal of [Governor] Jackson, under the pretense of arming the state against any emergency. By another act the governor was invested with despotic power—even verbal opposition to his assumptions of authority being constituted treason; while every citizen liable to military duty was declared subject to draft into active service at Jackson's will, and an oath of obedience to the state executive exacted.

To support him in his treasonable exercise of power, among the men chosen by Governor Jackson was John B. Clark, the man whom Boggs had selected as a willing tool and whom Jackson now found pliant to his purpose. Another of the mob officers, Sterling Price, was now made by Jackson, Major-General of the state forces.

Poor Missouri atoned with rivers of blood and tears for her sin against herself in permitting the executive to usurp unlawful authority. The precedent of Boggs' exercise of power was handed down. In the day of the persecution of the Saints, a court had decided that belief in the Bible was treason against the government. The idea had moved with terrible momentum; for here we find in 1861 that, "even verbal opposition to the governor's assumption of authority was constituted treason."

It is true that with any kind of a population Missouri must have taken part either for or against the Union; but it is also true that the existence within her boundaries of thousands of lawless wretches who loved plunder and rapine, largely increased her sufferings. The entire state was punished for permitting the massacre of the Saints to go unchecked and for encouraging the spirit of plunder by rewarding the mobocrats with money from the state treasury. Men learned to live by murder and rapine. It cost Missouri dearly to get rid of the evil, but happily for her much of the bad element was eliminated. Many of the old mobocrats suffered all the tortures which they had inflicted.

But Missouri largely purged herself of the vile element, and after the strife was ended better men and better sentiments came into the ascendancy. Some of the men who had been averse to mobocratic violence against the Latter-day Saints believed that retribution would come. They lived to see the day of atonement and to participate in a local reconstruction and a restoration of better things.

The constituency of the mob is thus described by the Prophet, in a letter dated at Commerce, Illinois, May 17th, 1839:

We have not at any time thought there was any political party, as such, chargeable with the Missouri barbarities, neither any religious society as such. They were committed by a mob composed of all parties, regardless of all difference of opinion either political or religious.

And at a later day in repeating this view, he said:

We consider that in making these remarks, we express the sentiments of the Church in general as well as our own individually, and also when we say in conclusion, that we feel the fullest confidence, that when the subject of our wrongs has been fully investigated by the authorities of the United States, we shall receive the most perfect justice at their hands; whilst our unfeeling oppressors shall be brought to condign punishment, with the approbation of a free and enlightened people, without respect to sect or party.

CHAPTER XLIV.

THE LOCATION OF COMMERCE—NAUVOO, THE BEAUTIFUL—PITY FROM PROMINENT MEN IN ILLINOIS—A DAY OF MIRACLES—THE PROPHET RAISES THE SICK AT THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE—JOSEPH SOUNDS THE TRUMP OF WARNING—THE MISSION OF THE APOSTLES—THEIR SELF-SACRIFICE AND COURAGE—CONFERENCE AT COMMERCE.

It was a sudden shifting of scenes from Missouri to Illinois in that sad springtime of 1839.

An examination had been made of lands in Iowa, and tracts were eventually secured there; but the beauty of the site of Commerce and the hospitality evinced by the people of Illinois were great attractions and decided the Prophet upon making the location at that place. It was on the 1st day of May that Joseph made the first purchase of lands in that locality. The town consisted of only six houses; the land was covered with trees and brush; and the soil was so wet that teams mired in the streets. The climate was very unhealthy; but the Prophet knew that the blessing of God would make it a fit habitation for His Saints.

It was a magnificent site, overlooking the Mississippi which swept around it in a half circle, giving the place three fronts upon the noble river. Because of the loveliness of the site the name of Commerce was changed to Nauvoo which means in Hebrew, the fair or beautiful.

The woes of the Saints while in Missouri had been observed with an eye of pity from Illinois. Such monstrous crime against an unoffending people shocked the patriotism and humanity of all who witnessed it, and the people of Illinois wondered how the Missourians could be so lost to all sense of justice and mercy as to commit these acts of murder and pillage. Under date of May 8, 1839, Governor Thomas Garlin, Senator Richard M. Young, and many other prominent citizens of Illinois, wrote a letter to all whom it might concern, in which they spoke of "the sufferings of this unfortunate people [the Saints], stripped as they have been of their all, and now scattered throughout this part of the state. We say to the charitable and benevolent, you need have no fear, but your contributions in aid of humanity will be properly applied if entrusted to the hands of Mr. [John P.] Greene. He is authorized by his church to act in the premises; and we most cordially bear testimony to his piety and worth as a citizen."

It was on the 10th day of May that Joseph arrived with his family at the Commerce purchase, taking up his abode in a small log cabin on the bank of the river, thankful to get even this poor shelter.

Joseph had been as much a sufferer as any among the Saints. He and his family were in a state of utter destitution as were his brethren and sisters when the location was made at Nauvoo. His own afflictions and poverty showed him what the Saints were enduring, and he ministered among them with the unselfishness and vigor of his life. The people looked to him for counsel and help from day to day; and he found time, in all the multiplicity of the business thrust upon him, to aid and advise each individual according to his needs. It was almost a work of creation from chaos to gather the scattered people and establish the community in one spot, to feed and clothe and house the destitute and afflicted.

The region surrounding Nauvoo had been too sickly for other settlers, and soon after the Saints reached there they suffered greatly from malaria. Joseph had filled his house and tents with the sick, and through his exertions in their behalf and his other labors he was soon prostrated. But on the morning of the 22nd day of July, 1839, the Spirit of the Lord rested powerfully upon him, and he arose from his own bed and commenced to administer to the sick who were at his place. He commanded them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise and be made whole; and all who heard him in faith were healed. The events of that day of miracles are thus minutely described in the journal of President Wilford Woodruff, which was written at the time:

Many lay sick along the bank of the river, and Joseph walked along up to the lower stone house, occupied by Sidney Rigdon, and he healed all the sick that lay in his path. Among the number was Henry G. Sherwood, who was nigh unto death. Joseph stood in the mouth of his tent and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to arise and come out of his tent, and he obeyed him and was healed. Brother Benjamin Brown and his family also lay sick, the former appearing to be in a dying condition. Joseph healed them in the name of the Lord. After healing all that lay sick upon the bank of the river as far as the stone house, he called upon Elder Kimball and some others to accompany him across the river to visit the sick at Montrose. Many of the Saints were living at the old military barracks. Among the number were several of the Twelve. On his arrival, the first house he visited was that occupied by Elder Brigham Young, the President of the quorum of the Twelve, who lay sick. Joseph healed him, when he arose and accompanied the Prophet on his visit to others who were in the same condition. They visited Elder W. Woodruff, also Elders Orson Pratt and John Taylor, all of whom were living in Montrose. They also accompanied him. The next place they visited was the home of Elijah Fordham, who was supposed to be about breathing his last. When the company entered the room the Prophet of God walked up to the dying man, and took hold of his right hand and spoke to him; but Brother Fordham was unable to speak, his eyes were set in his head like glass, and he seemed entirely unconscious of all around him. Joseph held his hand and looked into his eyes in silence for a length of time. A change in the countenance of Brother Fordham was soon perceptible to all present. His sight returned, and upon Joseph asking him if he knew him, he, in a low whisper, answered "Yes." Joseph asked him if he had faith to be healed. He answered, "I fear it is too late; if you had come sooner I think I could have been healed." The Prophet said, "Do you not believe in Jesus Christ?" He answered in a feeble voice, "I do." Joseph then stood erect, still holding his hand in silence several moments, then he spoke in a very loud voice, saying, "Brother Fordham, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to arise from this bed and be made whole." His voice was like the voice of God, and not of man. It seemed as though the house shook to its very foundation. Brother Fordham arose from his bed and was immediately made whole. His feet were bound in poultices, which he kicked off, then putting on his clothes he ate a bowl of bread and milk and followed the Prophet into the street. The company next visited Brother Joseph Bates Noble, who lay very sick. He also was healed by the Prophet. By this time the wicked became alarmed, and followed the company into Brother Noble's house. After Brother Noble was healed all kneeled down to pray. Brother Fordham was mouth, and, while praying, he fell to the floor. The Prophet arose, and looking round, he saw quite a number of unbelievers in the house, whom he ordered out. When the room was cleared of them Brother Fordham came to and finished his prayer.

After healing the sick in Montrose, all the company followed Joseph to the bank of the river, where he was going to take the boat to return home. While waiting for the boat a man from the west, who had seen that the sick and dying were healed, asked Joseph if he would not go to his house and heal two of his children, who were very sick. They were twins and were three months old. Joseph told the man he could not go; but he would send some one to heal them. He told Elder Woodruff to go with the man and heal his children. At the same time he took from his pocket a silk bandanna handkerchief, and gave it to Brother Woodruff, telling him to wipe the faces of the children with it and they should be healed; and remarked at the same time: "As long as you keep that handkerchief it shall remain a league between you and me." Elder Woodruff did as he was commanded, and the children were healed, and he keeps the handkerchief to this day.

There were many sick whom Joseph could not visit, so be counseled the Twelve to go and visit and heal them, and many were healed under their hands. On the day following that upon which the above described events took place Joseph sent Elders George A. and Don Carlos Smith up the river to heal the sick. They went up as far as Ebenezer Robinson's—one or two miles, and did as they were commanded, and the sick were healed.

With the summer the building of the city was begun; also settlements were established across the river in Iowa.

Joseph bestowed constant attention upon the spiritual as well as the temporal interests of the people. He gave them many important points of doctrine at this time; and he labored as a missionary among both Saints and strangers throughout the regions surrounding. His efforts and those of his brethren, the Apostles, in preaching the gospel bore rich fruit. There were many sincere people who were seeking for light and these soon joined the ranks of the believers.

The material welfare of the Saints increased marvelously, the marshy wilderness on the Mississippi banks soon grew to be a solid resting place for their weary feet. The Twelve, on whom the burden of the exodus from Missouri had fallen, were now preparing for their mission to England; but before they went Joseph uttered the warning sound which was to penetrate to the ends of the earth:

The signs of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon see war and bloodshed. The moon will be turned into blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. If our souls are not looking forth for Him, we shall be among those to call for the rocks to fall upon us.

* * * * * * *

I see men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I see armies arrayed against armies. I see blood, fire, desolation. Jesus has said that the mother shall be against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. * * * I know not how soon these things will take place; and after a view of them, shall I cry peace? No! I will lift up my voice and testify of them.

The Apostles shared in his zeal. About the 1st of July, 1839, six of them, all who were then at that point—Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor and George A. Smith, addressed a communication to the Elders of the Church, to all the branches, and to all the Saints scattered abroad wherever they might be. Their epistle was so pleasing to the Prophet that he embodied it in his personal journal, and from it the following sentiments are selected:

Many of you have been driven from your homes, robbed of your possessions, and deprived of the liberty of conscience. You have been stripped of your clothing, plundered of your furniture, robbed of your horses, your cattle, your sheep, your hogs, and refused the protection of law; you have been subject to insult and abuse, from a set of lawless miscreants; you have had to endure cold, nakedness, peril and sword; your wives and your children have been deprived of the comforts of life; you have been subject to bonds, to imprisonment, to banishment, and many to death, "for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God." Many of your brethren, with those whose souls are now beneath the altars, are crying for the vengeance of heaven to rest upon the heads of their devoted murderers, and saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" But it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Dear brethren, we should remind you of this thing; and although you have had indignities, insults and injuries heaped upon you, till further suffering would seem to be no longer a virtue: we would say, be patient, dear brethren, for as saith the Apostle, "ye have need of patience, that after being tried you may inherit the promise." You have been tried in the furnace of affliction; the time to exercise patience is now come; and we shall reap, brethren, in due time if we faint not. Do not breathe vengeance upon your oppressors, but leave the case in the hands of God; "for vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay."

We would say to the widow and the orphan, to the destitute, and to the diseased, who have been made so through persecution, be patient; you are not forgotten; the God of Jacob has His eye upon you; the heavens have been witness to your sufferings, and they are registered on high; angels have gazed upon the scene, and your tears, your groans, your sorrows, and anguish of heart, are had in remembrance before God; they have entered into the sympathies of that bosom who is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities," who was "tempted in all points like unto you;" they have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth; be patient then, until the words of God be fulfilled, and His designs accomplished; and then shall He pour out His vengeance upon the devoted heads of your murderers; and then shall they know that He is God, and that you are His people.

* * * * * * *

We wish to stimulate all the brethren to faithfulness; you have been tried; you are now being tried; and those trials, if you are not watchful, will corrode upon the mind, and produce unpleasant feelings; but recollect that now is the time of trial; soon the victory will be ours: now may be a day of lamentation—then will be a day of rejoicing; now may be a day of sorrow—but by and by we shall see the Lord; our sorrow will be turned into joy, and our joy no man taketh from us. Be honest; be men of truth and integrity; let your word be your bond; be diligent, be prayerful; pray for and with your families; train up your children in the fear of the Lord; cultivate a meek quiet spirit; clothe the naked, feed the hungry, help the destitute, be merciful to the widow and orphan, be merciful to your brethren, and to all men; bear with one another's infirmities, considering your own weakness; bring no railing accusation against your brethren.

* * * * *

We are glad, dear brethren, to see that spirit of enterprise and perseverance which is manifested by you in regard to preaching the gospel; and rejoice to know that neither bonds nor imprisonment, banishment nor exile, poverty nor contempt, nor all the combined powers of earth and hell, hinder you from delivering your testimony to the world, and publishing those glad tidings which have been revealed from heaven by the ministering of angels, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, and by the power of God, for the salvation of the world in these last days. And we would say to you, that the hearts of the Twelve are with you, and they with you are determined to fulfil their mission, to clear their garments of the blood of this generation, to introduce the gospel to foreign nations, and to make known to the world these great things God has developed. They are now on the eve of their departure for England, and will start in a few days. They feel to pray for you, and to solicit an interest in your prayers, and in the prayers of the Church, that God may sustain them in their arduous undertaking, grant them success in their mission, deliver them from the powers of darkness, the stratagem of wicked men, and all the combined powers of earth and hell. And if you unitedly seek after unity of purpose and design; if you are men of humility, and of faithfulness, of integrity and perseverance; if you submit yourselves to the teachings of heaven, and are guided by the Spirit of God; if you at all times seek the glory of God and the salvation of men, and lay your honor prostrate in the dust, if need be, and are willing to fulfil the purposes of God in all things, the power of the priesthood will rest upon you, and you will become mighty in testimony, the widow and the orphan will be made glad, and the poor among men rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The bond between the Prophet and his brethren, the Apostles, was close and strong. He relied upon them, confided in them, and showed them all the respect which their nobility of soul deserved. In their exercise of authority during his incarceration in Missouri he gave them cordial support, subsequently having all their acts ratified by the voice of the general conference. When he escaped from captivity and joined them in Illinois, the love with which he greeted them was like that of brother for brothers. Brigham Young, writing of the meeting, says:

It was one of the most joyful scenes of my life to once more strike hands with the Prophet, and behold him and his companions free from the hands of their enemies. Joseph conversed with us like a man who had just escaped from a thousand oppressions, and was now free in the midst of his children.

Joseph met with the Apostles frequently before their departure, praying for them and blessing them for their work. He also attended their farewell meetings and added his voice to the instructions which they gave to the Saints at Nauvoo before departing to engage in the vast work in the Old World. Elder Parley P. Pratt, now freed from prison, and Elder Orson Pratt were with them. In the months of August and September seven of the Twelve departed on their mission to England.

Elders John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff were the first, leaving on the 8th day of August, 1839. Elder Woodruff arose from the bed to which he had been confined for two weeks in order to start on this journey. Both of these devoted men left their no less devoted families at Montrose in sickness and poverty and distress; and yet all relying upon the Lord for preservation and blessing. Elders Taylor and Woodruff started together without purse or scrip.

Elders Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt, making all necessary sacrifices, departed from Nauvoo on the 29th of August.

Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball started together on the 18th of September, 1839. Brigham was so sick that he was unable to walk a few rods down to the river without assistance. He left his wife ill with a babe only ten days old, and all his other children helpless. Heber was in the same plight. His wife and all her children but one were prostrated. After Brigham and Heber had traveled thirteen miles on their journey, they stopped at the residence of a friend and were so feeble as to be unable to carry into the house their trunks, which contained the very few articles of clothing they were able to take with them. In less than a month after their departure President Brigham Young's father John Young, died at Quincy, Adams County, Illinois; so when Brigham bade his father farewell to go on this mission, the parting was for the remainder of their earthly lives. John Young was a noble man: he had been a soldier in the Revolution. At his death the Prophet said of him:

He was a firm believer in the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, and fell asleep under the influence of that faith which buoyed up his soul, in the pangs of death, to glorious hope of immortality; fully testifying to all that the religion he enjoyed in life was able to support him in death. He was driven from Missouri with the Saints; * * * he died a martyr to the religion of Jesus, for his death was caused by his sufferings in that cruel persecution.

On the 21st of September, 1839, Elder George A. Smith departed for England. He left his father, mother, sister and brother sick in a log stable, all unable to help themselves or each other. He, himself, was so emaciated that after he was a little way on his journey, he met some men who cried out: "Somebody has been robbing a graveyard of a skeleton."

Three other men started with the Apostles: Hiram Clark in company with Parley and Orson, and Theodore Turley and Reuben Hedlock in company with George A. Smith.

This was the sublime missionary movement of the Apostles. How like the grain of mustard seed! Leaving the people of God in sickness and in poverty, they themselves being on the verge of the grave, these disciples of Jesus went forth to proclaim the gospel of redemption. If their faith had not been such as not to be shaken, the world never more would have heard of their endeavor. But it was firm and steadfast, and God rewarded it; and the little mustard seed quickened and grew and became a mighty tree. The Prophet said of them:

Perhaps no men ever undertook such an important mission under such peculiarly distressing, forbidding and unpropitious circumstances. Most of them * * * were worn down with sickness and disease or were taken sick on the road. Several of their families were also afflicted and needed their aid and support. But knowing that they had been called by the God of heaven to preach the gospel to other nations, they conferred not with flesh and blood, but obedient to the heavenly mandate, without purse or scrip, commenced a journey of five thousand miles entirely dependent on the providence of that God who had called them to such a holy calling.

The Twelve faltered not an instant in their appointed labor, and while they spread abroad the tidings of salvation, the Prophet in Nauvoo was directing the gathering Saints that they might build a city whose loveliness and greatness should attract the eye of every beholder.

On the 5th day of October, 1839, a general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was convened at Nauvoo, at which it was decided to establish there a stake of Zion, and to organize a branch of the Church on the opposite side of the river in Iowa Territory, and officers were appointed to preside and officiate in the stake and over the branch.

At this same conference it was resolved that Joseph Smith, accompanied by Elias Higbee and Sidney Rigdon, should proceed to Washington to lay before the President and Congress of the nation the wrongs which the Saints had endured.

CHAPTER XLV.

REASONS FOR AN APPEAL TO WASHINGTON—JOSEPH AND COMPANIONS DEPART FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL—THE PROPHET'S ACT OF PHYSICAL HEROISM—HE SEES INGRATITUDE—MARTIN VAN BUREN AND JOSEPH SMITH—THE LATTER'S SCORN— COWARDICE AND CHICANERY—"YOUR CAUSE IS JUST, BUT I CAN DO NOTHING FOR YOU."

The Saints had suffered innocently in Missouri; they had appealed in vain for redress; they were impoverished through the robberies which had been perpetrated upon them; and their old men, delicate women, and little children, even after the gathering to Nauvoo, were dying of privations.

These were material reasons for an application to the national government for succor; and besides these, the Prophet knew that the Lord required this appeal to be made that—upon the answer thereto—the nation's responsibility for the barbarities might be judged.

On Tuesday, the 29th day of October, 1839, Joseph and his companions departed from Nauvoo. At Columbus, Ohio, Joseph was obliged to leave Sidney Rigdon in the care of attendants, as Sidney's frail health made travel slow, and the Prophet's business required expedition; so Joseph went on with Judge Elias Higbee.

Joseph and Judge Higbee traveled in the coach; and on the way while they were passing through the mountains the driver of the stage stopped at a public house to get some liquor. While he was gone the horses took fright and ran down a steep hill, at full speed. The coach was crowded with passengers, some of whom were members of Congress, with two or three ladies. There was very much excitement in the vehicle. Joseph did all he could to calm his fellow-passengers and was able to reassure most of them. But he had to hold one woman to keep her from throwing her infant out of the stage window. As soon as he got the people in the coach under control, he opened the door; and securing his hold on the side, he climbed up into the driver's seat, a feat requiring physical strength, as well as nerve and a cool head, for the stage was pitching and rolling like a boat in a storm. He instantly seized the lines and stopped the maddened steeds. They had run about three miles; but the coach, horses and passengers all escaped without injury—thanks to Joseph's presence of mind and courage. The passengers praised him extravagantly; they thought his conduct most heroic; and the members of Congress even went so far as to suggest that the incident should be mentioned in that body, as such a deed of daring deserved a public recognition. But upon inquiring of Joseph what his name was, in order to mention it as that of the hero who had saved their lives, they found that their deliverer was Joseph Smith, the "Mormon Prophet." The mere mention of the name was sufficient for them; and he heard no more of their praise, gratitude or promises of reward.

Joseph and his companion reached Washington on the 28th day of November, 1839; and secured rooms at the corner of Missouri and Third streets. The Prophet determined that the cause of his people should be vigorously presented. He visited the leading men of the nation, including the President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. He had prepared for presentation to Congress an eloquent memorial in which was plainly stated the crime of Missouri. Nothing was set down in malice; but the facts were all given in such a straightforward way that they formed apparently an irresistible argument.

The closing paragraphs of this paper must be here presented:

The above statement will also show, that the Mormons on all occasions submitted to the laws of the land, and yielded to its authority in every extremity, and at every hazard, at the risk of life and property. The above statement will illustrate another truth: that wherever the Mormons made any resistance to the mob, it was in self-defense; and for these acts of self-defense they always had the authority and sanction of the officers of the law for so doing. Yet they, to the number of about fifteen thousand souls, have been driven from their homes in Missouri. Their property to the amount of two millions of dollars, has been taken from them or destroyed. Some of them have been murdered, beaten, bruised or lamed, and have all been driven forth, wandering over the world without homes, without property.

But the loss of property does not comprise half their sufferings. They were human beings possessed of human feelings and human sympathies. Their agony of soul was the bitterest drop in the cup of their sorrows.

For these wrongs the Mormons ought to have some redress; yet how and where shall they seek and obtain it? Your constitution guarantees to every citizen, even the humblest, the enjoyment of life, liberty and property. It promises to all, religious freedom, the right to all to worship God beneath their own vine and fig tree, according to the dictates of their conscience. It guarantees to all the citizens of the several states the right to become citizens of any one of the states, and to enjoy all the rights and immunities of the citizens of the state of his adoption. Yet of all these rights have the Mormons been deprived. They have, without a cause, without a trial been deprived of life, liberty, and property. They have been persecuted for their religious opinions. They have been driven from the state of Missouri, at the point of the bayonet, and prevented from enjoying and exercising the rights of citizens of the state of Missouri. It is the theory of our laws, that for the protection of every legal right, there is provided a legal remedy. What, then, we would respectfully ask, is the remedy of the Mormons? Shall they apply to the legislature of the state of Missouri for redress? They have done so. They have petitioned, and these petitions have been treated with silence and contempt. Shall they apply to the federal courts? They were, at the time of the injury, citizens of the state of Missouri. Shall they apply to the courts of the state of Missouri? Whom shall they sue? The order for their destruction, their extermination, was granted by the Executive of the state of Missouri. Is not this a plea of justification for the loss of individuals, done in pursuance of that order? If not, before whom shall the Mormons institute a trial? Shall they summon a jury of the individuals who composed the mob? An appeal to them were in vain. They dare not go to Missouri to institute a suit; their lives would be in danger.

For ourselves we see no redress, unless it is awarded by the Congress of the United States. And here we make our appeal as American citizens, as Christians, and as Men—believing that the high sense of justice which exists in your honorable bodies, will not allow such oppression to be practiced upon any portion of the citizens of this vast republic with impunity, but that some measures which your wisdom may dictate, may be taken, so that the great body of people who have been thus abused, may have redress for the wrongs which they have suffered. And to your decision they look with confidence, hoping it may be such as shall tend to dry up the tear of the widow and orphan, and again place in situations of peace, those who have been driven from their homes, and had to wade through scenes of sorrow and distress.

And yet the appeal was vain, as far as any practical help was concerned. Some members of Congress showed a great deal of interest in the Prophet, and the cause which he was pleading; but after the most earnest effort, the only result was to receive from Martin Van Buren the famous, almost infamous, reply:

YOUR CAUSE IS JUST, BUT I CAN DO NOTHING FOR YOU.

And in the sense of this answer, if not in its words, the Senate and House of Representatives coincided. No arm of national power would be outstretched in behalf of the Saints. As, early in the Missouri trouble, Governor Dunklin—to whom the people appealed, had sent them back to their plunderers for redress and protection; so now the President and Congress of the grandest republic under the sun, told them to apply to Missouri to rectify the wrong. It was as if one who had been robbed and beaten on the public highway, should apply to a magistrate for help and should be sent back to ask the highwayman to restore his purse and pour balm on his wounds.

In one of his interviews with Van Buren the latter coolly told the Prophet: "If I take up for you, I shall lose the votes of Missouri."

This response shocked Joseph in more than a personal sense. He was astounded that the flagrant outrages committed against his people aroused no purpose of redress; but more than this, he felt the insult offered to every American citizen when the chief executive of the nation placed his political aspirations above his sense of right. The Prophet himself was a man whose whole life was unstained by any act of fear. He knew the right and dared all in its accomplishment. Before such a man as he, towering in all his personal majesty and in the grandeur of the cause he represented, how even the President of the United States must have cringed when he confessed to the basest motives which can animate a public man! Joseph could not, upon hearing these words, disguise the contempt which he felt for the occupant of that position to which every American citizen loves to pay honor. The disdain which flashed from his eyes must have made even Martin Van Buren feel small; for it is the universal testimony of enemies and friends alike, that Joseph Smith's righteous scorn was terrible as the lightning flash.

It is a historic picture, this meeting of the two presidents. The subject of their interview was justice for an unpopular people, few in number and poor in earthly influence. The manner in which the negotiation was carried on, clearly shows the different natures of the two men.

Van Buren, a truckler to political influence and power, was on this occasion autocratic and insolent. Your sycophant is always, when opportunity offers, a tyrant. Van Buren was no exception to this. The opportunity to display the insolence of office without jeopardizing his own interests was eagerly embraced. He doubtless had received his cue from the traitorous officials who had besmirched the escutcheon of the state of Missouri with their foul crimes against the Constitution, the laws and the principles of justice, or from those who represented them, and deported himself accordingly.

On the other hand, his visitor was but a private citizen in a political sense, and was the religious leader of a mere handful of refugees, exiled from home and all the comforts of this life, and now apparently as helpless in politics as they were weak in numbers and distressed in finances. And yet Joseph stood as an equal, overcoming vain arrogance by natural dignity. Before they finally parted the advantage was all with the humbler man; he crushed down the insolence of Van Buren by his personal kingliness and his declaration of the principles of truth and justice.

Becoming satisfied that there was little use for him to further press the claims of the Saints, Joseph departed from the nation's capital and returned to Nauvoo, reaching there on the 4th day of March, 1840. While in the east he had preached the gospel at every opportunity, in Washington, Philadelphia and other places, and had met with much success. And this was a partial compensation for the utter failure of his appeal.

After he returned home he wrote:

I arrived safely at Nauvoo, after a wearisome journey, through alternate snow and mud, having witnessed many vexatious movements in government officers, whose sole object should be the peace and prosperity of the whole people; but I discovered this, that popular clamor and personal aggrandisement are the ruling principles of those in authority; and my heart faints within me when I see by the visions of the Almighty, the end of this nation if she continues to disregard the cries and petitions of her virtuous citizens.

In the Prophet's absence, Hyrum had acted as the president at Nauvoo. He had labored assiduously for the temporal as well as the spiritual advancement of the people, to sustain their bodily life and strength through the trying winter and their faith through all the assaults of the adversary. He had also published an account of the Missouri persecutions, in the Times and Seasons, a semi-monthly paper begun at Commerce in November, 1839, by Don Carlos Smith and Ebenezer Robinson.

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE MISSION OF THE APOSTLES—MIRACULOUS OPENING OF THEIR WAY TO THE OLD WORLD—ORDINATION OF WILLARD RICHARDS—SPECIAL LABORS OF EACH APOSTLE—THE FIRST IMMIGRANTS TO ZION—JOSEPH'S LETTERS OF INSTRUCTION AND COMFORT TO ELDERS AND SAINTS ABROAD.

They "went forth weeping, bearing precious seed;" but they "have returned with rejoicing bearing their sheaves with them."

This is what the Prophet says of the Apostles and the other missionaries who first went out from Nauvoo. The details of the sublime work, which then was resumed with such unparalleled vigor and which resulted in such a marvelous increase to the Church, will soon be published in another work of this series. There is only space in this volume for a recognition of the general movement and its success, as Joseph observed it and as it brought many precious souls to restore the numerical strength and the prosperity of the Saints.

We have seen how the Apostles went out from the poverty of Nauvoo and Montrose. No man who reads the history of that mission, undertaken at such a time, can doubt that they and their fellow-missionaries were inspired; for no mere zealot, without the absolute consciousness of divine direction and divine protection, would have joined the movement.

We shall now see how these men triumphed over that which to human understanding was impossible. Briefly told:

Departing from Nauvoo ill and penniless, they made their way across the country, scattering the seeds of truth on every hand. And before they had reached the sea coast some of the harvest was ready to gather. Their way was miraculously opened to them in this land, that they might have means to pursue their voyage to another. Elders Taylor and Woodruff reached England on the 11th of January, 1840, in company with Elder Theodore Turley. Elders Young, Kimball, Parley P. and Orson Pratt, and George A. Smith, accompanied by Elder Reuben Hedlock, landed at Liverpool on the 6th day of April, 1840, just ten years from the day of the Church's organization. The brethren found there Elder Willard Richards and ordained him to the Apostleship in obedience to the revelation. They scattered among the honest-in-heart, and each one of them achieved a quick and lasting victory for the faith. In the name of Jesus Christ they went forth healing the sick, restoring the lame and opening the eyes of the blind. In all their labors they gave evidence of such personal humility, bearing such a strong testimony to the truth of the gospel that the honest-in-heart flocked by hundreds to the standard which they reared.

Every one among those brethren performed some special labor or occupied some special field. Elder Woodruff made the proclamation of the truth in Staffordshire and afterwards in Herefordshire, which yielded a wonderful harvest of fruit. Elder Taylor organized a large branch of the Church in Liverpool and established the gospel in Ireland and the Isle of Man. Elder Heber C. Kimball who had been so successful on his previous mission in proclaiming the gospel in Lancashire, opened the work in London; in this labor he was accompanied by Elders Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith. In this conference the faithful and talented young Elder, Lorenzo Snow, now an Apostle, soon became president. Elder George A. Smith followed Elder Woodruff into Staffordshire, in which field he continued to labor after Elder Woodruff went to Herefordshire. Elder Smith set apart and directed Elder William Barratt for a mission to South Australia; and about the same time William Donaldson, an English convert, was ordained and blessed to perform a mission in the East Indies. Elder Willard Richards labored principally in Lancashire, though he spent some time with Elder Woodruff in Herefordshire. Elder Orson Pratt carried the work to Scotland. Elder Parley P. Pratt, under the direction of President Brigham Young and the other brethren of the Twelve, began the publication of the Millennial Star. President Brigham Young directed the printing of the Book of Mormon, hymn book and other works, and traveled and preached as opportunity offered, being looked up to and sustained by his brother Apostles as their President.

As early as the 6th of June, 1840, a company of Saints sailed from England to make their way to Nauvoo. This party consisted of forty-one people, the first to emigrate from a foreign land to join the cause of Jesus Christ in this last dispensation. Three months later the ship North America sailed with two hundred Saints. From this time on the work of immigration has been too vast to be followed in the brief space now at command.

The greatness of the work which the brethren were to perform in England was revealed to Joseph by the Spirit, and he was impressed to extend the missionary movement still further. On the 6th day of April, 1840, Elder Orson Hyde, one of the Twelve Apostles, was directed to take a mission to Jerusalem. He left his home in Commerce on the 15th of the month, and in due time he reached his field and offered a prayer to heaven from the Mount of Olives as an introduction to his work.

The preaching of the gospel in the Old World was a marvelous work and a wonder. From the time of the first mission, Elders Joseph Fielding, Willard Richards and William Clayton, with many other faithful brethren, had kept open the source of the stream by their noble efforts; but when the Apostles landed there again in obedience to divine revelation, and put forth their hands, the little stream became an on-rushing river bearing triumph for the Church upon its bosom.

From their labor the work spread into every land and has gathered up its tens of thousands of heroic and self-sacrificing souls.

Such a foundation was laid that when the majority of the Apostles were called home, the work continued, and it has continued up to the present time.

Joseph's appreciation of their labor is evinced in a letter which he addressed to them in October, 1840. He says:

BELOVED BRETHREN:

May grace, mercy and peace rest upon you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. * * * *

Be assured, beloved brethren, that I am no disinterested observer of the things which are transpiring on the face of the whole earth; and amidst the general movements which are in progress, none is of more importance than the glorious work in which you are now engaged; consequently I feel some anxiety on your account, that you may, by your virtue, faith, diligence and charity, commend yourselves to one another, to the Church of Christ, and to your Father who is in heaven; by whose grace you have been called to so holy a calling; and be enabled to perform the great and responsible duties which rest upon you. And I can assure you, from the information I have received, I feel satisfied that you have not been remiss in your duty; but that your diligence and faithfulness have been such as must secure you the smiles of that God whose servants you are, and also the goodwill of the Saints throughout the world. The spread of the gospel throughout England is certainly pleasing.

* * * * *

It is likewise very satisfactory to my mind, that there has been such a good understanding between you, and that the Saints have so cheerfully hearkened to counsel, and vied with each other in the labor of love, and in the promotion of truth and righteousness. This is as it should be in the Church of Jesus Christ: unity is strength. "How pleasing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Let the Saints of the Most High ever cultivate this principle, and the most glorious blessings must result, not only to them individually, but to the whole Church—the order of the kingdom will be maintained, its officers respected, and its requirements readily and cheerfully obeyed.

Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race. This has been your feeling, and caused you to forego the pleasures of home, that you might be a blessing to others, who are candidates for immortality, but strangers to truth; and for so doing, I pray that heaven's choicest blessings may rest upon you.

* * * * *

Let the Saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion, and that they are called to be co-workers with the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days; and in consideration of the extent, the blessings and glories of the same, let every selfish feeling be not only buried, but annihilated; and let love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind, that their hearts may become like unto Enoch's of old, and comprehend all things, present, past and future, and come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The work in which we are unitedly engaged is one of no ordinary kind. The enemies we have to contend against are subtle and well skilled in manoeuvring; it behooves us to be on the alert to concentrate our energies, and that the best feelings should exist in our midst; and then, by the help of the Almighty, we shall go on from victory to victory, and from conquest to conquest; our evil passions will be subdued, our prejudices depart; we shall find no room in our bosoms for hatred, vice will hide its deformed head, and we shall stand approved in the sight of heaven, and be acknowledged the sons of God.

Let us realize that we are not to live to ourselves, but to God; by so doing the greatest blessings will rest upon us, both in time and in eternity.

And to the Saints scattered abroad the Prophet wrote:

BELOVED BRETHREN:

We address a few lines to the Church of Jesus Christ, who have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which has been delivered to them by the servants of the Lord, and who are desirous to go forward in the ways of truth and righteousness, and by obedience to the heavenly command, escape the things which are coming on the earth, and secure to themselves an inheritance among the sanctified in the world to come.

* * * * *

The work of the Lord in these last days is one of vast magnitude and almost beyond the comprehension of mortals. Its glories are past description, and its grandeur unsurpassable. It is the theme which has animated the bosom of prophets and righteous men from the creation of this world down through every succeeding generation to the present time; and it is truly the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all things which are in Christ Jesus, whether in heaven or on the earth, shall be gathered together in Him, and when all things shall be restored, as spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world began; for in it will take place the fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers, while the displays of the Most High will be great, glorious and sublime.

The purposes of our God are great. His love unfathomable, His wisdom infinite, and His power unlimited; therefore the Saints have cause to rejoice and be glad, knowing that this God is our God forever and ever, and He will be our Guide until death. Having confidence in the power, wisdom and love of God, the Saints have been enabled to go forward through the most adverse circumstances, and frequently when, to all human appearance, nothing but death presented itself, and destruction inevitable, has the power of God been manifest, His glory revealed and deliverance effected; and the Saints, like the children of Israel, who came out of the land of Egypt and through the Red Sea, have sung an anthem of praise to His holy name. This has not only been the case in former days, but in our days, and within a few months have we seen this fully verified.

Having, through the kindness of our God been delivered from destruction, and secured a location upon which we have again commenced operations for the good of His people, we feel disposed to go forward and suit our energies for the up-building of the kingdom and establishing the Priesthood in their fullness and glory. The work which has to be accomplished in the last days is one of vast importance and will call into action the energy, skill, talent, and ability of the Saints, so that it may roll forth with that glory and majesty described by the prophets, and will consequently require the concentration of the Saints, to accomplish works of such magnitude and grandeur.

The work of the gathering spoken of in the Scriptures will be necessary to bring about the glories of the last dispensation. It is probably unnecessary to press this subject on the Saints, as we believe the spirit of it is manifest, and its necessity obvious to every considerate mind; and everyone zealous for the promotion of truth and righteousness is equally so for the gathering of the Saints.

Dear brethren, feeling desirous to carry out the purposes of God to which we have been called, and to be workers with Him in this last dispensation, we feel the necessity of having the hearty co-operation of the Saints throughout this land and upon the islands of the sea; and it will be necessary for them to hearken to counsel and turn their attention to the Church, the establishment of the Kingdom, and lay aside every selfish principle,—everything low and groveling.

During the remaining years of his life the subject of missionary work was very near to the Prophet's heart. He desired that all men might have the privilege of hearing the truth. The gospel was proclaimed in many lands, including the distant isles of the sea, during his lifetime; and a plan was laid for the most comprehensive and unselfish system of proselyting since the day when Jesus Christ said to His Apostles: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

CHAPTER XLVII.

NAUVOO THE BEAUTIFUL—EVENTS THERE DURING THE YEAR 1840—RENEWAL OF OUTRAGES BY THE MISSOURIANS—DEATH OF THE PROPHET'S FATHER AND EDWARD PARTRIDGE—RETURN OF WILLIAMS AND PHELPS—JOSEPH'S HOPE FOR HIS CITY— DEMAND BY GOVERNOR BOGGS FOR THE PROPHET AND HIS BRETHREN.

A general conference was held at Nauvoo on the 6th day of April, 1840, at which Joseph presided and gave much instruction. Frederick G. Williams came before the congregation and humbly asked forgiveness for his former wrong-doing; he expressed a determination to do the will of God, and the Church forgave him and received him into fellowship.

Commerce was officially recognized as Nauvoo by the post office department on the 21st day of April, 1840. It was growing into the dignity of a town. In a year after the first settlement of the Saints there, two hundred and fifty houses had been built. The region was becoming more healthful; and the Saints were achieving prosperity. It is not the least of the miracles connected with this work that the people have so often and so quickly risen from the ashes of their homes.

On the 27th day of May, 1840, the faithful Bishop Edward Partridge, the first Bishop in the Church, died at Nauvoo, aged forty-six years.

Joseph bore this testimony concerning him:

He lost his life in consequence of the Missouri persecutions; and is one of that number whose blood will be required at the hands of his persecutors.

In June of this year, William W. Phelps made humble confession of his wrong-doing and begged the fellowship of the Prophet and the Saints. This event and the return of Frederick G. Williams were most gratifying to Joseph, because Elders Williams and Phelps before their fall had occupied a large place in his affections.

Through the season of 1840, many stakes were organized in different parts of the country.

On the 7th day of July, four brethren, James Allred, Noah Rogers, Alanson Brown and Benjamin Boyce, were kidnapped at Nauvoo by a large party of Missourians and carried over the river. Before they were able to escape, they were almost murdered. After much agony they got loose from their chains and returned home. This event showed that the mobocratic spirit was not dead. No excuse existed for the crime; the men kidnapped were not even accused of any offense by their captors. The barbarous deed was the precursor of a larger movement. A meeting was held immediately at Nauvoo to protest against the renewal of such outrages, and to appeal to the executive of the state of Illinois for redress for this injury and protection from further wrong.

On Monday, the 14th day of September, 1840, Joseph Smith, Sen., Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the father of the Prophet, died at Nauvoo from the effect of exposure and privation during the Missouri persecutions.

The Prophet says of him:

He was the first person who received my testimony after I had seen the angel, and exhorted me to be faithful and diligent to the message I had received. He was baptized April 6th, 1830.

In August, 1830, in company with my brother Don Carlos, he took a mission to St. Lawrence County, New York, touching on his route at several of the Canadian ports, where he distributed a few copies of the Book of Mormon, visited his father, brothers and sister, residing in St. Lawrence County, bore testimony to the truth, which resulted eventually in all the family coming into the Church, except his brother Jesse and sister Susan.

He removed with his family to Kirtland in 1831; was ordained Patriarch and President of the High Priesthood, under the hands of Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, Frederick G. Williams and myself, on the 18th of December, 1833; was a member of the first high council, organized on the 17th of February, 1834 (when he confirmed on me and my brother Samuel H., a father's blessing).

In 1836 he traveled in company with his brother John 2,400 miles in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire, visiting the branches of the Church in those states, and bestowing patriarchal blessings on several hundred persons, preaching the gospel to all who would hear, and baptizing many. They arrived at Kirtland on the 2nd of October, 1836.

During the persecutions in Kirtland in 1837, he was made a prisoner, but fortunately obtained his liberty, and after a very tedious journey in the spring and summer of 1838, he arrived at Far West, Missouri.

After I and my brother Hyrum were thrown into the Missouri jails by the mob, he fled from under the exterminating order of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs, and made his escape in mid-winter to Quincy, Illinois, from whence he removed to Commerce in the spring of 1839.

The exposures he suffered brought on consumption, of which he died on this 14th day of September, 1840, aged sixty-nine years, two months, and two days. He was six feet, two inches high, was very straight, and remarkably well proportioned. His ordinary weight was about two hundred pounds, and he was very strong and active. In his young days he was famed as a wrestler, and, Jacob-like, he never wrestled with but one man whom he could not throw. He was one of the most benevolent of men, opening his house to all who were destitute. While at Quincy, Illinois, he fed hundreds of the poor Saints who were flying from the Missouri persecutions, although he had arrived there penniless himself.

On the 3rd day of October, 1840, a conference was held at Nauvoo at which it was decided to build a house of the Lord in that city and that the Saints each give every tenth day of labor to the erection of the holy edifice. At the conference, an address from the Prophet and his counselors was presented to the Church, in which brief reference is made to the changes within the two years then just past. The communication says:

We feel rejoiced to meet the Saints at another General Conference, and under circumstances as favorable as the present. Since our settlement in Illinois we have for the most part been treated with courtesy and respect, and a feeling of kindness and of sympathy has generally been manifested by all classes of the community, who, with us deprecate the conduct of those men whose dark and blackening deeds are stamped with everlasting infamy and disgrace. The contrast between our past and present situation is great. Two years ago mobs were threatening, plundering, driving and murdering the Saints. Our burning houses enlightened the canopy of heaven. Our women and children, houseless and destitute, had to wander from place to place to seek a shelter from the rage of persecuting foes. Now we enjoy peace, and can worship the God of heaven and earth without molestation, and expect to be able to go forward and accomplish the great and glorious work to which we have been called.

Under these circumstances we feel to congratulate the Saints of the Most High, on the happy and pleasing change in our circumstances, condition and prospects, and which those who shared in the perils and distresses, undoubtedly appreciate; while prayers and thanksgivings daily ascend to that God who looked upon our distresses and delivered us from danger and death, and whose hand is over us for good.

The Prophet saw a grand city of Nauvoo to rise in the near future; and his vision and hope were fulfilled.

Ascending the upper Mississippi in the autumn, when its waters were low, I was compelled to travel by land past the region of the Rapids. * * * My eye wearied to see everywhere sordid, vagabond and idle settlers, and a country marred, without being improved, by their careless hands. I was descending the last hillside upon my journey when a landscape in delightful contrast broke upon my view. Half encircled by a bend of the river, a beautiful city lay glittering in the fresh morning sun; its bright, new dwellings, set in cool green gardens, ranging up around a stately dome-shaped hill, which was covered by a noble marble edifice, whose high tapering spire was radiant with white and gold. The city appeared to cover several miles; and beyond it, in the back-ground, there rolled off a fair country, chequered by the careful lines of fruitful husbandry. The unmistakable marks of industry, enterprise and educated wealth everywhere, made the scene one of singular and most striking beauty.

This is what Colonel, afterwards Major-General, Thomas L. Kane thought of Nauvoo when his eyes rested upon it from a distance in 1846, only seven years after the purchase by the Saints of the marshy ground upon which the city stood. It partially shows how well the Prophet and his fellow-laborers had been able to fulfill his high hopes of the city's destiny. For the Prophet did have a definite and exalted plan for Nauvoo. It was his purpose, under the direction of the Almighty, to make this a fit abiding place for the Saints of the Most High; not only a place where they might receive spiritual guidance, but a place where the arts and sciences might be taught and where all the benefits of civilization might be enjoyed. The Prophet understood the gospel which he proclaimed—that it comprehended the material betterment of all mankind; and he aspired to establish in Nauvoo such social conditions as would show the efficacy of gospel teachings in the daily life of the community. He wanted to demonstrate in Nauvoo to the gaze of all the world how nearly perfect community life might become in a free republic, when all men were animated by the same motives of pure religion and unselfish association; how much they might be prospered and how easily they might be governed.

On the 16th day of December, 1840, the charter of the city of Nauvoo, with charters of the Nauvoo Legion and the University of the City of Nauvoo, were signed by Governor Thomas Carlin, having previously passed both houses of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Illinois. Under the terms of these charters it would be possible for the Prophet to demonstrate his social problem; but he was not permitted to do it without molestation.

It had been held out to the world by shrewd observers that all the charges made in the state of Missouri against the Prophet and his companions were false and would not bear fair judicial scrutiny; because, after the escape of the brethren, they lived openly at Nauvoo and no effort was made to secure them by the officers of the adjoining state. It seemed very clear that the men who had murdered and plundered the Saints did not want to have their acts reviewed, even though the Prophet's liberty was the price of their inaction. But they were taunted by some of their prominent fellow-citizens with this fact, and they decided to answer this disagreeable clamor by renewing the persecutions against the Prophet. The old mob element was determined to have vengeance for this logical exposure of its unjust deeds.

On the 15th day of September, 1840, after a silence of a year and a half, Governor Boggs of Missouri made a demand upon Governor Carlin of Illinois for Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Parley P. Pratt, Caleb Baldwin and Alanson Brown, as fugitives from justice. Governor Carlin complied with the requisition by issuing an order for the apprehension of these men. When the officer went to serve the papers, the brethren were away from home; and, learning of the movement, they determined to evade the process—not that they feared any righteous inquiry into their conduct, but, having once escaped from Missouri murderers, they declined to give themselves up again to be assassinated.

A leading article from the Quincy, Illinois, Whig of that period—written by the editor, who was only an acquaintance of the Prophet and not in affiliation with the Church—presents the situation so clearly that it should be preserved for all time to come:

We repeat, Smith and Rigdon should not be given up. The law requiring the governor of our state to deliver up fugitives from justice is a salutary and a wise one, and should not in ordinary circumstances be disregarded; but as there are occasions when it is not only the privilege but the duty of the governor of the state to refuse to surrender the citizens of his state upon the requisition of the executive of another,—and this we consider is the case of Smith and Rigdon.

The law is made to secure the punishment of the guilty, and not to sacrifice the innocent, and the governor whose paramount duty it is to protect the citizens of his state from lawless violence, whenever he knows that to comply with such requisition he could be delivering the citizens into the hands of a mob as a victim to appease the thirst of the infuriate multitude for blood, without trial and against justice: under such circumstances, we repeat, the governor is bound by the highest of all human laws, to refuse to comply with the requisition; and will Governor Carlin pretend to say that the present is not a case of this kind?

The history of the Mormon difficulties in Missouri, is of too recent an origin not to be well known to the governor. A few years since, when they had settled in the Far West, and had gathered around them the comforts and conveniences of life, and were beginning to reap the just reward of their industry and enterprise, a mob attempted to drive them from their homes; as peaceable citizens, enjoying all the rights guaranteed to them by a republican Constitution, they had a right, and did call on the governor of Missouri for protection. Did he, in obedience to the oath which he had taken to support the constitution of the state, respond to the call as a governor should? No! and forever will a stain rest upon the name of Lilburn W. Boggs, and the state of Missouri. Mr. Boggs told the Mormons that they must take care of themselves—in fact denying them the protection of the constitution under whose broad folds they had taken shelter. Thus denied the protection of the state, they prepared to defend their homes, wives and children. Did Mr. Boggs, as the controversy proceeded, remain a neutral spectator, as his first intimation had given the Mormons to understand? Oh, no! when the mob was forced to fly for safety—like cowards as they were—then this wise and oath-bound executive, called on the militia of the state, to aid in expelling—or rather, to use one of the expressions of Mr. Boggs—in "exterminating" the Mormons. Which is as much as to say, if the Mormons cannot be driven from their homes, their possessions, and all else that they hold dear, peaceably, why then, kill, murder, burn, destroy, anything so the Mormons are "exterminated" from the state! Most just, humane, wise, and patriotic Governor Boggs!

Many of them were barbarously butchered, and all shamefully unsettled and cruelly driven from their comfortable firesides at an inclement season of the year; those who escaped secret murder, were inhumanly and savagely treated, their females violated, and their property confiscated and plundered, by the barbarous vandals who were persecuting them even unto death! and to such men and to such people, would Governor Carlin deliver up two of our Mormon citizens for a sacrifice! We oppose this barter and trade in blood, upon higher grounds than the mere forms of law upon which the Argus justifies the governor. If we believe that Smith and Rigdon had been guilty of criminal acts in Missouri, and could have a fair trial for such acts, under the laws of that state, we should be among the first to advocate the surrender of those gentlemen. It is not the laws of Missouri, of which we complain, it is of the officers who are appointed to execute and carry out those laws. Their conduct must be forever reprobated—it is a lasting disgrace to the state.

The Mormons have resided in our state since they were driven out of Missouri—behaving as good citizens. Smith and Rigdon in particular, have resided ever since within the limits of our state, undoubtedly with the full knowledge of the authorities of Missouri, but no demand is made till the citizens of Missouri, pursuing them in their new homes in this state, with the same disregard of law that marked their previous conduct, a call is made upon the governor of that state to deliver them over to our authorities to be tried for violating our laws, then the very vigilant governor of Missouri calls for the apprehension of Smith and Rigdon!

It may be that Governors Carlin and Boggs had a private understanding—that a cartel, an exchange of prisoners, may be agreed on between them. If it is so, the governor is trifling with the lives of our citizens—with the lives of those whom he is sworn to protect. Reason, justice and humanity, cry out against the proceeding.

We repeat, that compliance on the part of Governor Carlin, would be to deliver them not to be tried for crime, but to be punished without crime; and that under those circumstances, they had a right to claim protection as citizens of this state.

This was the beginning of a trouble which lasted during the few remaining years of the Prophet's life. While he was upon one hand building up Nauvoo into a beautiful city and spreading abroad the glory of the gospel; upon the other hand, he was himself harassed and driven day and night by the relentless efforts of vindictive enemies incited by bigotry which failed to comprehend the grandeur of his work and the purity of his soul.

From this time on, though his labor was constantly expanding, he himself was being hedged in. And as the events of the remaining four years crowd each other with lightning rapidity, this is the proper time to pause and look at length upon his matured person and character, just as he is about to rise to the zenith of his career and just at the hour when all the forces of the adversary are being united in a movement to drag him down and destroy the cause entrusted to his care.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

JOSEPH SMITH AT NAUVOO—HIS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PERSONALITY—VIEWS OF HIS OPPONENT COMMENTATORS—TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT TO HIS INSPIRATION.

When the Prophet first went to Commerce he was thirty-three years old; and he was martyred in his thirty-ninth year. Despite the outrages perpetrated upon him and the privations which he had endured, he was during this period still a man of great physical beauty and stateliness. He was just six feet in height, standing in his stockings, and was grandly proportioned. In his mature years he weighed about two hundred pounds. His eyes were blue and tender; his hair was brown, plentiful and wavy; he wore no beard, and his complexion was one of transparency so rare as to be remarkable; the exquisite clearness of his skin was never clouded, his face being naturally almost without hair. His carriage was erect and graceful; he moved always with an air of dignity and power which strangers often called kingly. He was full of physical energy and daring. Without any appearance of effort he could perform astonishing feats of strength and agility, and without any apparent thought of fear he met and smiled upon every physical danger. From his boyhood up he was fond of athletics, and in his mature years and at the very zenith of his fame he loved to unbend and wrestle or jump with a friend. The men who could contest with him were very few. When his situation would permit he was as happy as a school boy to join in manly sports.

He showed a sense of gentle humor in his games. On one occasion two sectarian ministers had addressed themselves to him with the boasted purpose of conquering him in argument. His theological strength dumbfounded them; he drove them from one position to another until they were glad to cry for quarter. Then, as they were about to depart with a crestfallen air, he said to them in a tone of kindness:

Come, gentlemen, since you withdraw from the contest of logic, let us jump at a mark. I think I can beat you at this.

The preachers hastened away, filled with indignation, and spread all manner of ridiculous reports concerning Joseph Smith because he could condescend at times to run, or jump or wrestle like a boy. Probably their defeat in argument had more than the professed shock to their religious sensitiveness to do with their indignation. He was always gentle and good-natured in his sports. Several men are yet living who jumped or tried a fall with the Prophet. They say Joseph did not lose dignity in these sports. His rare physical beauty and grace and his athletic excellence set him far above his fellows and made his condescension seem kingly.

Nearly every one of his commentators, whether friend or foe, speaks of him as a handsome man, of distinguished appearance and possessing a marvelous power of fascination. By his opponents, the inspiration which was over him and upon him—enveloping and permeating him and radiating from his whole being—was attributed to magnetism.

In every association with his fellow-beings he was considerate and just. He was always willing to carry his part of the burden and to share in any suffering or deprivation inflicted upon his friends. He was gentle to children and universally won their love. Elder Lyman O. Littlefield, now of Logan, Utah, was a boy thirteen years old with the camp of Zion which went up into Missouri. He narrates an incident of that journey which is characteristic of the Prophet's entire life, for his deeds and words of thoughtfulness were a constantly flowing stream. As we recollect Elder Littlefield's statement, it was this:

The journey was extremely toilsome for all, and the physical suffering, coupled with the knowledge of the persecutions endured by our brethren whom we were traveling to succor, caused me to lapse one day into a state of melancholy. As the camp was making ready to depart I sat tired and brooding by the roadside. The Prophet was the busiest man of the camp; and yet when he saw me, he turned from the great press of other duties to say a word of comfort to a child. Placing his hand upon my head, he said, "Is there no place for you, my boy? If not, we must make one." This circumstance made an impression upon my mind which long lapse of time and cares of riper years have not effaced.

Joseph always sought to help the distressed. A cry of sorrow quickly touched his ear, and its appeal invariably aroused him to helpful action.

When he had become educated and refined as gold in the furnace by his communion with the Holy Spirit, his words were heeded as if they were falling jewels. He never had to beg for listeners; nor had he to ask twice an audience with any one who had once met him. The great men of the nation, with whom he came in contact, felt the power of his mighty spirit. He was their peer as a philosopher and a statesman. He was more, because he not only knew the past, but he saw the future.

The judgment of a man's friends is always the best judgment, especially when his character and career are such as to excite the jealousy and enmity of the world. But in the case of Joseph the Prophet, while none but his friends could understand the full strength and beauty of that God-like soul, there were not wanting plenty of non-believers who recognize in him a man of amazing power. When a man is dead, he is usually judged by his works, and few characters can bear the judgment of the world pronounced during their lives by their opponents. Joseph Smith was one of the few. In speaking of his opponents we refer not to the sectarian bigots or to the mobocrats and apostates; but we refer to men of standing and reputation, who were not so foolish as to speak falsely in describing his attributes. We refer to men who recognized in Joseph Smith a social factor and in his work a social movement, even while they denied his inspiration and its divinity.

A writer for the New York Herald had visited the Prophet, and in 1842 that paper said:

Joseph Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters of the age. He indicates as much talent, originality and moral courage as Mahomet, Odin or any of the great spirits that have hitherto produced the revolutions of past ages. In the present infidel, irreligious, ideal, geological, animal-magnetic age of the world, some such singular prophet as Joseph Smith is required to preserve the principle of faith, and to plant some new germs of civilization that may come to maturity in a thousand years. While modern philosophy, which believes in nothing but what you can touch, is overspreading the Atlantic States, Joseph Smith is creating a spiritual system, combined also with morals and industry, that may change the destiny of the race. * * * We certainly want some such prophet to start up, take a big hold of the public mind—and stop the torrent of materialism that is hurrying the world into infidelity, immorality, licentiousness and crime.

The Pittsburgh American declared that Joseph Smith could not be denied the attributes of greatness. A Cleveland paper responding said that he was without education or genius, and that "he used to live near these 'diggings.'" The Pittsburgh Visitor then took up the argument, saying:

No man was ever a prophet near the edge of his own diggings. * * * We know that principally from a country which boasts its superior intelligence; where ignorance is supposed to be banished, and every man and woman taught to read and write; he [Joseph Smith] has built up a name, a temple and a city, conquering all opposition, and this both vindictive and powerful, and so entirely unaided that he can exclaim like the proud and haughty Roman, "Alone I did it!"

If he is advancing the cause of truth, he certainly has claim to our sympathies and respect, as well for its discovery as the bold and determined manner in which he has maintained it. If it is a gross imposture, as you assert, he must be both ingenious and cunning to gloss over its deformities and make them so attractive. We have nothing to do with his doctrines—we only consider him the most remarkable man among the "diggins."

Probably the most comprehensive view taken of the Prophet by a man not intimate with him was that of Josiah Quincy, who, in company with Hon. Charles Francis Adams, the senior, visited Joseph Smith at Nauvoo on the 15th day of May, 1844, just forty-three days before the Prophet's martyrdom. Among many things descriptive of Joseph, Quincy says:

It is by no means improbable that some future textbook, for the use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written: Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men now living, may be an obvious common-place to their descendants. History deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this. The man who established a religion in this age of free debate, who was and is today accepted by hundreds of thousands as a direct emissary from the Most High—such a rare human being is not to be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets. Fanatic, impostor, charlatan, he may have been; but these hard names furnish no solution to the problem he presents to us. Fanatics and impostors are living and dying every day, and their memory is buried with them; but the wonderful influence which this founder of a religion exerted and still exerts throws him into relief before us, not as a rogue to be criminated, but as a phenomenon to be explained. The most vital questions Americans are asking each other today have to do with this man and what he has left us. A generation other than mine must deal with these questions. Burning questions they are, which must give a prominent place in the history of the country to that sturdy self-asserter whom I visited at Nauvoo. Joseph Smith, claiming to be an inspired teacher, faced adversity such as few men have been called to meet, enjoyed a brief season of prosperity such as few men have ever attained, and finally, forty-three days after I saw him, went cheerfully to a martyr's death. When he surrendered his person to Governor Ford, in order to prevent the shedding of blood, the Prophet had a presentiment of what was before him. "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter," he is reported to have said; "but I am as calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense, and shall die innocent." I have no theory to advance respecting this extraordinary man. I shall simply give the facts of my intercourse with him. At some future time they may be found to have some bearing upon the theories of others who are more competent to make them. Ten closely written pages of my journal describe my impressions of Nauvoo, and of its Prophet, mayor, general and judge. * * * *

Pre-eminent among the stragglers by the door stood a man of commanding appearance, clad in the costume of a journeyman carpenter when about his work. He was a hearty, athletic fellow, with blue eyes standing prominently out upon his light complexion, a long nose, and a retreating forehead. He wore striped pantaloons, a linen jacket which had not lately seen the wash tub, and a beard of some three days' growth. This was the founder of the religion which had been preached in every quarter of the earth.

A fine looking man is what the passer by would instinctively have murmured upon meeting this remarkable individual who had fashioned the mould which was to shape the feelings of so many thousands of his fellow-mortals. But Smith was more than this, and one could not resist the impression that capacity and resource were natural to his stalwart person. I have already mentioned the resemblance he bore to Elisha R. Potter, of Rhode Island, whom I met in Washington in 1826. The likeness was not such as would be recognized in a picture, but rather one that would be felt in a grave emergency. Of all men that I have met, these two seemed best endowed with that kingly faculty which directs as by intrinsic right, the feeble or confused souls who are looking for guidance. This it is just to say with emphasis; for the reader will find so much that is puerile and even shocking in my report of the prophet's conversation that he might never suspect the impression of rugged power that was given by the man. * * * * * * *

"General Smith," said Dr. Goforth, when we had adjourned to the green in front of the tavern, "I think Mr. Quincy would like to hear you preach." "Then I shall be happy to do so," was the obliging reply; and mounting the broad step which led from the house, the Prophet promptly addressed a sermon to the little group about him. Our numbers were constantly increased from the passers in the street, and a most attentive audience of more than a hundred persons soon hung upon every word of the speaker. The text was Mark 16:15, and the comments, though rambling and disconnected, were delivered with the fluency and fervor of a camp-meeting orator. The discourse was interrupted several times by the Methodist minister before referred to, who thought it incumbent upon him to question the soundness of certain theological positions maintained by the speaker. One specimen of the sparring which ensued I thought worth setting down. The Prophet is asserting that baptism for the remission of sins is essential for salvation. Minister: Stop! What do you say to the case of the penitent thief? Prophet: What do you mean by that? Minister: You know our Savior said to the thief, "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," which shows he could not have been baptized before his admission. Prophet: How do you know he wasn't baptized before he became a thief? At this retort the sort of laugh that is provoked by an unexpected hit ran through the audience; but this demonstration of sympathy was rebuked by a severe look from Smith, who went on to say: But that is not the true answer. In the original Greek, as this gentleman [turning to me] will inform you, the word that has been translated paradise means simply a place of departed spirits. To that place the penitent thief was conveyed, and there, doubtless, he received the baptism necessary for his admission to the heavenly kingdom. The other objections of his antagonist were parried with a similar adroitness, and in about fifteen minutes the Prophet concluded a sermon which it was evident that his disciples had heard with the heartiest satisfaction. * * * * * * * *

In the afternoon we drove to visit the farms upon the prairie which this enterprising people had enclosed and were cultivating with every appearance of success. On returning we stopped in a beautiful grove where there were seats and a platform for speaking. "When the weather permits," said Smith, "we hold our services in this place; but shall cease to do so when the temple is finished." "I suppose none but Mormon preachers are allowed in Nauvoo," said the Methodist minister, who had accompanied our expedition. "On the contrary," replied the prophet, "I shall be very happy to have you address my people next Sunday, and I will insure you a most attentive congregation." "What! do you mean that I may say anything I please, and that you will make no reply?" "You may certainly say anything you please; but I must reserve the right of adding a word or two, if I judge best. I promise to speak of you in the most respectful manner." As we rode back, there was much dispute between the minister and Smith. "Come," said the latter, suddenly slapping his antagonist on the knee, to emphasize the production of a triumphant text, "if you can't argue better than that, you shall say all you want to say to my people, and I will promise to hold my tongue, for there's not a Mormon among them that will need my assistance to answer you." Some backthrust was evidently required to pay for this; and the minister, soon after, having occasion to allude to some erroneous doctrine which I forgot, suddenly exclaimed, "Why, I told my congregation the other Sunday that they might as well believe Joe Smith as such theology as that." "Did you say Joe Smith in a sermon?" inquired the person to whom the title had been applied. "Of course I did. Why not?" The Prophet's reply was given with a quiet superiority that was overwhelming: "Considering only the day and the place, it would have been more respectful to have said Lieutenant-General Joseph Smith." Clearly the worthy minister was no match for the head of the Mormon Church.

I have quoted enough [from letters of converts] to show what really good material Smith managed to draw into his net. Were such fish to be caught with Spaulding's tedious romance and a puerile fable of undecipherable gold plates and gigantic spectacles? Not these cheap and wretched properties, but some mastering force of the man who handled them, inspired the devoted missionaries who worked such wonders. The remaining letters [picked up from Joseph's waste basket by Quincy] both written a year previous to my visit, came from a certain Chicago attorney, who seems to have been the personal friend as well as the legal adviser of the Prophet. With the legal advice come warnings of plots which enemies are preparing, and of the probability that a seizure of his person by secret ambush is contemplated. "They hate you;" writes this friendly lawyer, "because they have done evil unto you. * * * My advice to you is, not to sleep in your own house, but to have some place to sleep strongly guarded by your own friends, so that you can resist any sudden attempt that might be made to kidnap you in the night. When the Missourians come on this side and burn houses, depend upon it they will not hesitate to make the attempt to carry you away by force. Let me again caution you to be every moment upon your guard." The man to whom this letter was addressed had long been familiar with perils. For fourteen years he was surrounded by vindictive enemies, who lost no opportunity to harass him. He was in danger even when we saw him at the summit of his prosperity, and he was soon to seal his testimony—or, if you will, to expiate his imposture—by death at the hands of dastardly assassins. If these letters go little way toward interpreting the man, they suggest that any hasty interpretation of him is inadequate. * * * * * * * * *

I asked him to test his [prophetic] powers by naming the successful candidate in the approaching presidential election. "Well, I will prophesy that John Tyler will not be the next President, for some things are possible and some things are probable; but Tyler's election is neither the one nor the other." We then went on to talk of politics. Smith recognized the curse and iniquity of slavery, though he opposed the methods of the Abolitionists. His plan was for the nation to pay for the slaves from the sale of the public lands. "Congress," he said, "should be compelled to take this course, by petitions from all parts of the country; but the petitioners must disclaim all alliance with those who would disturb the rights of property recognized by the constitution and foment insurrection." It may be worth while to remark that Smith's plan was publicly advocated eleven years later, by one who has mixed so much practical shrewdness with his lofty philosophy. In 1855, when men's minds had been moved to their depths on the question of slavery, Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson declared that it should be met in accordance "with the interest of the South and with the settled conscience of the North. It is not really a great task, a great fight for this country to accomplish, to buy that property of the planter, as the British nation bought the West Indian slaves." He further says that the "United States will be brought to give every inch of their public lands for a purpose like this." We who can look back upon the terrible cost of the fratricidal war which put an end to slavery, now say that such a solution of the difficulty would have been worthy a Christian statesman. But if the retired scholar was in advance of his time when he advocated this disposition of the public property in 1855, what shall I say of the political and religious leader who had committed himself, in print, as well as in conversation, to the same course in 1844? If the atmosphere of men's opinions was stirred by such a proposition when war-clouds were discernible in the sky, was it not a statesmanlike word eleven years earlier, when the heavens looked tranquil and beneficent?

General Smith proceeded to unfold still further his views upon politics. He denounced the Missouri Compromise as an unjustifiable concession for the benefit of slavery. It was Henry Clay's bid for the presidency. Dr. Goforth might have spared himself the trouble of coming to Nauvoo to electioneer for a duellist who would fire at John Randolph, but was not brave enough to protect the Saints in their rights as American citizens. Clay had told his people to go to the wilds of Oregon and set up a government of their own. Oh yes, the Saints might go into the wilderness and obtain justice of the Indians, which imbecile, time-serving politicians would not give them in a land of freedom and equality. The Prophet then talked of the details of government. He thought that the number of members admitted to the lower house of the National Legislature should be reduced. A crowd only darkened counsel and impeded business. A member to every half million of population would be ample. The powers of the President should be increased. He should have authority to put down rebellion in a state, without waiting for the request of any governor; for it might happen that the governor himself would be the leader of the rebels. It is needless to remark how later events showed the executive weakness that Smith pointed out,—a weakness which cost thousands of valuable lives and millions of treasure; but the man mingled Utopian fallacies with his shrewd suggestions. He talked as from a strong mind utterly unenlightened by the teachings of history. Finally, he told us what he would do, were he President of the United States, and went on to mention that he might one day so hold the balance between parties as to render his election to that office by no means unlikely. * * * * *

Who can wonder that the chair of the National Executive had its place among the visions of this self-reliant man? He had already traversed the roughest part of the way to that coveted position. Born in the lowest ranks of poverty, without book-learning and with the homeliest of all human names, he had made himself at the age of thirty-nine a power upon earth. Of the multitudinous family of Smith, from Adam down (Adam of the "Wealth of Nations," I mean), none had so won human hearts and shaped human lives as this Joseph. His influence, whether for good or for evil, is potent to-day, and the end is not yet.

I have endeavored to give the details of my visit to the Mormon Prophet with absolute accuracy. If the reader does not know just what to make of Joseph Smith, I cannot help him out of the difficulty. I myself stand helpless before the puzzle.

A member of Congress wrote to his wife after meeting Joseph in Washington:

Everything he says is said in a manner to leave an impression that he is sincere. There is no levity, no fanaticism, no want of dignity in his deportment. He is apparently from forty to forty-five years of age, rather above the middle stature, and what the ladies would call a very good-looking man. In his garb there are no peculiarities, his dress being that of a plain, unpretending citizen. He is by profession a farmer, but is evidently well read. * * * Throughout his whole address he displayed strongly a spirit of charity and forbearance.

The Masonic Grand Master, in the state of Illinois, wrote of Joseph to the Advocate:

Having recently had occasion to visit the city of Nauvoo I cannot permit the opportunity to pass without expressing the agreeable disappointment that awaited me there. I had supposed, from what I had previously heard, that I should witness an impoverished, ignorant and bigoted population, completely priest-ridden and tyrannized over by Joseph Smith, the great Prophet of these people.

On the contrary, to my surprise, I saw a people apparently happy, prosperous and intelligent. Every man appeared to be employed in some business or occupation. I saw no idleness, no intemperance, no noise, no riot; all appeared to be contented, with no desire to trouble themselves with anything except their own affairs. With the religion of this people I have nothing to do; if they can be satisfied with the doctrines of their new revelation, they have a right to be so. The constitution of the country guarantees to them the right of worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience, and if they can be so easily satisfied, why should we, who differ with them, complain? * * * * * * *

During my stay of three days I became well acquainted with their principal men, and more particularly with their Prophet. I found them hospitable, polite, well-informed and liberal. With Joseph Smith, the hospitality of whose house I kindly received, I was well pleased. Of course, on the subject of religion we widely differed, but he appeared to be quite as willing to permit me to enjoy my right of opinion as I think we all ought to be to let the Mormons enjoy theirs. But instead of the ignorant and tyrannical upstart, judge my surprise at finding him a sensible, intelligent companion and gentlemanly man. In frequent conversations with him he gave me every information that I desired, and appeared to be only pleased at being able to do so. He appears to be much respected by all the people about him, and has their entire confidence. He is a fine-looking man, about thirty-six years of age, and has an interesting family.

An officer of the United States artillery who visited Nauvoo in September, 1842, said:

The Smiths are not without talent, and are said to be as brave as lions. Joseph, the chief, is a noble-looking fellow, a Mahomet every inch of him. * * * The city of Nauvoo contains about ten thousand souls, and is rapidly increasing. It is well laid out, and the municipal affairs appear to be well conducted. The adjoining country is a beautiful prairie. Who will say that the "Mormon" Prophet is not among the great spirits of the age?

In 1842 or 1843, a Methodist preacher by the name of Prior visited Nauvoo and on the Sabbath day attended religious services for the purpose of hearing a sermon by the Prophet. He published the following description of Joseph's appearance and words:

I will not attempt to describe the various feelings of my bosom as I took my seat in a conspicuous place in the congregation, who were waiting in breathless silence for his appearance. While he tarried, I had plenty of time to revolve in my mind the character and common report of that truly singular personage. I fancied that I should behold a countenance sad and sorrowful, yet containing the fiery marks of rage and exasperation. I supposed that I should be enabled to discover in him some of those thoughtful and reserved features, those mystic and sarcastic glances, which I had fancied the ancient sages to possess. I expected to see that fearful, faltering look of conscious shame which, from what I had heard of him, he might be expected to evince. He appeared at last; but how was I disappointed when instead of the heads and horns of the beast and false prophet, I beheld only the appearance of a common man, of tolerably large proportions. I was sadly disappointed, and thought that, although his appearance could not be wrested to indicate anything against him, yet he would manifest all I had heard of him when he began to preach. I sat uneasily, and watched him closely. He commenced preaching, not from the Book of Mormon, however, but from the Bible; the first chapter of the first of Peter was his text. He commenced calmly, and continued dispassionately to pursue his subject, while I sat in breathless silence, waiting to hear that foul aspersion of the other sects, that diabolical disposition of revenge, and to hear rancorous denunciation of every individual but a Mormon; I waited in vain; I listened with surprise; I sat uneasy in my seat, and could hardly persuade myself but that he had been apprised of my presence, and so ordered his discourse on my account, that I might not be able to find fault with it; for instead of a jumbled jargon of half-connected sentences, and a volley of imprecations, and diabolical and malignant denunciations, heaped upon the heads of all who differed from him, and the dreadful twisting and wresting of the Scriptures to suit his own peculiar views, and attempt to weave a web of dark and mystic sophistry around the gospel truths, which I had anticipated, he glided along through a very interesting and elaborate discourse with all the care and happy facility of one who was well aware of his important station, and his duty to God and man.

In 1843, an English traveler wrote a letter which appeared in most of the American newspapers concerning a visit to Nauvoo. He first recites many of the awful tales which he had heard concerning the Prophet and the Saints, and describes the fears of his own life which were entertained by his friends should he put himself in the Prophet's power, evidently taking much credit to himself for his "chivalric" and "foolhardy" enterprise. But when he reaches Nauvoo, he finds all his fears and adventurous calculations dispelled; so he sits calmly down to make a dispassionate review of the city and its founder. A portion of his letter is as follows:

The city is of great dimensions, laid out in beautiful order; the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles, which will add greatly to its order and magnificence when finished. The city rises on a gentle incline from the rolling Mississippi, and as you stand near the temple, you may gaze on the picturesque scenery around; at your side is the temple, the wonder of the world; round about, and beneath, you may behold handsome stores, large mansions, and fine cottages, interspersed with varied scenery; at the foot of the town rolls the noble Mississippi, bearing upon its bosom the numerous seaships which are conveying the Mormons from all parts of the world to their home. I have seen them landed, and I have beheld them welcomed to their homes with the tear of joy and the gladdening smile, to share the embrace of all around. I have heard them exclaim, How happy to live here! how happy to die here! and then how happy to rise here in the resurrection! It is their happiness; then why disturb the Mormons so long as they are happy and peaceable, and are willing to live so with all men? I would say, "Let them live."

The inhabitants seem to be a wonderfully enterprising people. The walls of the temple have been raised considerably this summer; it is calculated, when finished, to be the glory of Illinois. They are endeavoring to establish manufactories in the city. They have enclosed large farms on the prairie ground, on which they have raised corn, wheat, hemp, etc.; and all this they have accomplished within the short space of four years. I do not believe that there is another people in existence who could have made such improvements in the same length of time, under the same circumstances. And here allow me to remark, that there are some here who have lately emigrated to this place, who have built themselves large and convenient houses in the town; others on their farms on the prairie, who, if they had remained at home, might have continued to live in rented houses all their days, and never once have entertained the idea of building one for themselves at their own expense.

Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, is a singular character; he lives at the "Nauvoo Mansion House," which is, I understand, intended to become a home for the stranger and traveler; and I think, from my own personal observation, that it will be deserving of the name. The Prophet is a kind, cheerful, sociable companion. I believe that he has the good-will of the community at large, and that he is ever ready to stand by and defend them in any extremity; and as I saw the Prophet and his brother Hyrum conversing together one day, I thought I beheld two of the greatest men of the nineteenth century. I have witnessed the Mormons in their assemblies on a Sunday, and I know not where a similar scene could be effected or produced. With respect to the teachings of the Prophet, I must say that there are some things hard to be understood; but he invariably supports himself from our good old Bible. Peace and harmony reign in the city. The drunkard is scarcely ever seen, as in other cities, neither does the awful imprecation or profane oath strike upon your ear; but, while all is storm, and tempest, and confusion abroad respecting the Mormons, all is peace and harmony at home.

In June, 1851, a work appeared entitled "The Mormons" published by a journalist connected with the Morning Chronicle, London, England. The author had made some close personal researches into the question, and the volume was the candid expression of his matured views. Being skeptical, and having little sympathy for a religious movement of this character, naturally his conclusions were colored by his prejudices. But he says:

Joseph Smith was indeed a remarkable man: and, in summing up his character, it is extremely difficult to decide, whether he were indeed the vulgar impostor which it has been the fashion to consider him, or whether he were a sincere fanatic who believed what he taught. But whether an impostor, who, for the purposes of his ambition, concocted the fraud of the Book of Mormon, or a fanatic who believed and promulgated a fraud originally concocted by some other person, it must be admitted that he displayed no little zeal and courage; that his tact was great, that his talents for governing men were of no mean order, and that, however glaring his deficiencies in early life may have been, he manifested, as he grew older, an ability both as an orator and a writer, which showed that he possessed strong natural gifts, only requiring cultivation to have raised him to a high reputation among better educated men. There are many incidents in his life which favor the supposition that he was guilty of a deliberate fraud in pretending to have revelations from heaven, and in palming off upon the world his new Bible: but, at the same time, there is much in his later career which seems to prove that he really believed what he asserted—that he imagined himself to be in reality what he pretended—the chosen medium to convey a new gospel to the world—the inspired of heaven, the dreamer of divine dreams, and the companion of angels. If he were an impostor, deliberately and coolly inventing, and pertinaciously propagating a falsehood, there is this much to be said, that never was an impostor more cruelly punished than he was, from the first moment of his appearance as a prophet to the last. Joseph Smith, in consequence of his pretensions to be a seer and prophet of God, lived a life of continual misery and persecution. He endured every kind of hardship, contumely and suffering. He was derided, assaulted and imprisoned. His life was one long scene of peril and distress, scarcely brightened by the brief beam of comparative repose which he enjoyed in his own city of Nauvoo. In the contempt showered upon his head his whole family shared. Father and mother, and brothers, wife and friends, were alike involved in the ignominy of his pretensions, and the sufferings that resulted. He lived for fourteen years amid vindictive enemies, who never missed an opportunity to vilify, to harass, and to destroy him; and he died at last an untimely and miserable death, involving in his fate a brother to whom he was tenderly attached. If anything can tend to encourage the supposition that Joseph Smith was a sincere enthusiast maddened with religious frenzies, as many have been before and will be after him—and that he had strong and invincible faith in his own high pretensions and divine mission, it is the notability that unless supported by such feelings, he would have renounced the unprofitable and ungrateful task, and sought refuge from persecution and misery in private life and honorable industry. But whether knave or lunatic, whether a liar or a true man, it cannot be denied that he was one of the most extraordinary persons of his time, a man of rude genius, who accomplished a much greater work than he knew; and whose name, whatever he may have been whilst living, will take its place among the notabilities of the world.

A writer in Chamber's Encyclopaedia speaking of the Prophet says.

From his early years he was regarded as a visionary and a fanatic; a fact which is of the utmost importance as affording a clue to his real character, and an explanation of that otherwise unaccountable tenacity of purpose and moral heroism displayed in the midst of fiercest persecution. A mere impostor * * * would have broken down under such a tempest of opposition and hate as Smith's preaching excited.

The foregoing opinions quoted from the Prophet's contemporaries and observers—his opponents, candid though they were—are as favorable as could be looked for in a skeptical, materialistic age. They prove all that can be asserted of the Prophet by his believers, except the essential feature of his inspiration. This could not be testified to by any except a believer. His reviewers, whom we have quoted, judge entirely from external evidence. They saw the phenomenon presented by his life and work, and recorded it; excluding entirely from their consideration of his character and deeds all thought of the superhuman. And yet such candid judgment of these men is worthy of preservation; it reinforces to the world the idea expressed of him by those who accepted the faith which he taught. If some of these opposing writers could have known him as intimately as his brethren knew him, the same sincerity which prompted their favorable testimony concerning his remarkable character must have compelled them to speak of those finer qualities which endeared him to the Saints. The Prophet was only a man; but he was a good man, an inspired man, a better man than he could have been without the inspiration of his master, Christ. In all his actions he was fearless as an angel of light. Not in all that has ever been written or said of him by friend or foe is there one word to impugn the magnificent physical bravery and moral courage of Joseph Smith. Withal he was as meek and gentle as a little child. Disciplined by the Spirit of God, which was his constant monitor, he put away from him alike the fear of men and the ambitions of the world. These were things which a remote or casual observer would not be likely to discover.

It cannot be expected that any non-believer will testify to the prophetic power of Joseph Smith. To admit it is to believe. And yet this power, too, can be proved by external evidence. Of his predictions not one word has failed. His inspiration may also be proved by eternal evidence. It is now admitted by every student of his life and work that the Book of Mormon came from or through him. This work could not have been originated by any other man in the nineteenth century.

But the best evidence of the divine inspiration which had descended upon him is not external. It is like faith in Christ. It is the whisper of the Spirit. During Joseph Smith's lifetime many thousands of people bore solemn testimony that they knew he was a Prophet of God. Since his death many more thousands have declared the same knowledge. Such proof may be insufficient for the world, but it is enough for the Saints. The world says that men who knew him were deceived by his personal magnetism. But what shall be said of men who believe and yet never saw him? Very few of the Latter-day Saints living today ever met the Prophet. Magnetism has a limited circle and a limited duration. Inspiration is infinite and eternal. The men who never saw Jesus Christ believe on Him because the Holy Spirit inspires belief; the men who never saw Joseph Smith believe in him because the Holy Spirit inspires belief. The Jews were witnesses to the miracles of our Savior. Their great historian Josephus says:

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man: for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ. And when Pilate at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And a tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

But Josephus remained a Jew, and very few of his race accepted the Redeemer, despite their knowledge of His works; they had only the external testimony which is insufficient, they hardened their hearts against the internal testimony which is all-convincing. Josephus' testimony of Jesus Christ is no stronger considering the time in which he lived, than is the testimony of some of Joseph Smith's unbelieving commentators, considering the age in which they lived. If Christians were dependent today solely upon the history of Christ's work, their faith might be insecure; but they have that testimony of the Spirit which gives to the sincere seeker after truth a conviction so firm as to be unassailable by all the power of Satan. It is this same Spirit which convinces the Saints of latter days that as truly as Christ lived, God's Only Begotten Son, as truly as He performed a divine mission upon earth, as truly as He died upon Calvary a martyr to redeem a fallen world; just so truly was Joseph Smith ordained and inspired of God to reveal his truths and lead men back out of the darkness of ages, into communion with the heavens. The physical strength and the mental power of an unbelieving world may be arrayed against the followers of this Prophet of latter days; as these same powers were arrayed against the early Christians. But prisons and crosses and swords and bullets cannot undo a fact. They may operate upon the fears of men and they may induce recantation; but they cannot destroy absolute knowledge.

As the years pass away the recognition of Joseph Smith's wonderful career grows more widespread. The day is near, even if it has not already come, when the world of thinking but unbelieving men must accept him as a marvel. They confess the mystery of his power and the unaccountable grandeur of his deeds, even while they dispute all claim to inspiration. They say he "was a doer of wonderful works." They confess their special amaze that an unlearned farmer lad, dwelling in the backwoods in the early part of this century, should have conceived of his own mind, a system of theology and a purpose of church organization, a plan of social redemption, so vast, so extraordinary; and that he should have held to his work with such heroic tenacity, through all the ills of life and unto the final scene of martyrdom. No words of a believer can of themselves convince an unbeliever. There is but one power of demonstration, and that is to seek by humble prayer for the voice of the Holy Spirit. So surely as man prays in faith and meekness, so surely will the answer come. This answer is the testimony of Jesus Christ; it is the testimony to His servant Joseph Smith.

The world will not put this to the test. Only here and there an honest, humble soul, struggling to the light will bow before the eternal throne and make sincere petition for guidance.

By this testimony will the age be judged. We declare unto all to whom these words shall come that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. Flesh and blood have not revealed it unto us, but our Father which is in heaven: and this holy revelation is the gift, exclusively, to no man and no class of men. It is free to all who will seek for it in obedience and sincere humility.

CHAPTER XLIX.

DR. J. C. BENNETT JOINS THE CHURCH—NAUVOO CITY CHARTERED—NAUVOO UNIVERSITY AND LEGION ORGANIZED—JOSEPH SMITH COMMISSIONED AS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL OF THE STATE MILITIA—TEMPLE SITE—DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE—AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

With the establishment of Nauvoo as a city Dr. John C. Bennett came into prominent association with the Church. He was a quarter-master general of the state of Illinois, and a man of extensive acquirements and many ambitions. At the time of the Prophet's imprisonment in Missouri he had offered his services to secure Joseph's release, by force, if necessary, but the tender was not accepted. His expressed sympathy was no doubt sincere. He saw the sufferings of the people and was drawn toward them. He saw the grandeur of the Prophet's character and was attracted by it. When the people moved into Illinois, he made a closer examination of their faith, and accepted it. No doubt he was still sincere at this time; and if he had been willing to heed the Prophet's warning and to be humble and pure, he might have been a blessing to the Church for many years, and might have lived and died a happy man, with a full assurance of eternal salvation.

On Sunday, the 24th day of January, 1841, Hyrum Smith received the office of patriarch to the Church, to succeed his deceased father; he was also by revelation sustained as a prophet and revelator to the Church. The vacancy in the quorum of the First Presidency, thus occasioned, was filled by the selection of William Law to be second counselor to Joseph.

On the 30th day of January a special conference was held at Nauvoo at which Joseph was elected sole trustee-in-trust for the Church, to hold the office during his life, his successor to be of the First Presidency of the Church. This action was taken in pursuance of the provisions of an act of the Illinois Legislature concerning religious societies.

The charter of the city of Nauvoo was devised by Joseph, as he says "on principles so broad that any honest man might dwell secure under its protective influence without distinction of sect or party." It was comprehensive, and in some respects unusual, but its provisions were purely republican and the end designed by its framer was insured. It was signed by Thomas Carlin, governor, and was certified by Stephen A. Douglas, secretary of state.

On the 1st day of February, 1841, the charter for the city of Nauvoo took effect. On the same day an election was held for mayor and members of the city council. John C. Bennett was elected mayor; with William Marks, Samuel H. Smith, Daniel H. Wells and Newel K. Whitney for aldermen; and Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Charles C. Rich, John T. Barnett, Wilson Law, Don Carlos Smith, John P. Greene and Vinson Knight for councilors.

The twenty-fourth section of the charter of the city of Nauvoo was as follows:

The city council may establish and organize an institution of learning within the limits of the city, for the teachings of the arts, sciences and learned professions, to be called the "University of the City of Nauvoo," which institution shall be under the control and management of a Board of Trustees, consisting of a Chancellor, Registrar and twenty-three Regents, which Board shall thereafter be a body corporate and politic, with perpetual successors by the name of the "Chancellor and Regents of the University of the City of Nauvoo," and shall have full power to pass, ordain, establish and execute all such laws and ordinances as they may consider necessary for the welfare and prosperity of said University, its officers and students; provided that the said laws and ordinances shall not be repugnant to the constitution of the United States, or of this state; and provided, also, that the Trustees shall at all times be appointed by the city council, and shall have all the powers and privileges for the advancement of the cause of education which appertain to the Trustees of any other college or university of this state.

In pursuance of this provision, at the first meeting of the city council Joseph Smith presented an ordinance organizing the university and appointed a board of trustees. The purpose of this institution of learning was to give the Saints and all others who loved learning an opportunity to gain a knowledge of the arts and sciences; for Joseph was ever desirous to bring his brethren and friends into close acquaintance with all that was best in the experience of the world. One of the trustees of the university was Daniel H. Wells, who also had been elected an alderman of the city. He was not then a member of the Church, but he was a young man of such manifest fairness and integrity that the Prophet was glad of his assistance.

The twenty-fifth section of the city charter was as follows:

The city council may organize the inhabitants of said city, subject to military duty, into a body of independent military men, to be called the "Nauvoo Legion," the court martial of which shall be composed of the commissioned officers of said legion, and constitute the law-making department, with full powers and authority to make, ordain, establish and execute all such laws and ordinances as may be considered necessary for the benefit, government and regulation of said Legion; provided said court martial shall pass no law or act, repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the constitution of the United States, or of this state; and provided also that the officers of the Legion shall be commissioned by the governor of the state. The said Legion shall perform the same amount of military duty as is now or may be hereafter required of the regular militia of the state, and shall be at the disposal of the mayor in executing the laws and ordinances of the city corporation, and the laws of the state, and at the disposal of the governor for the public defense, and the execution of the laws of the state or of the United States, and shall be entitled to their proportion of the public arms; and provided also, that said Legion shall be exempt from all other military duty.

In pursuance of the provisions of the charter the Nauvoo Legion was organized on the 4th day of February, 1841. Subsequently citizens of Hancock County enrolled themselves in the legion, and at the election Joseph Smith was chosen as Lieutenant-General and John C. Bennett Major-General, with Wilson Law and Don Carlos Smith as Brigadier-Generals of the two cohorts of the Legion.

Speaking of the University and the Legion in a letter written at this time, the Prophet describes their purpose in these words:

The "Nauvoo Legion" embraces all our military power, and will enable us to perform our military duty by ourselves, and thus afford us the power and privilege of avoiding one of the most fruitful sources of strife, oppression and collision with the world. It will enable us to show our attachment to the state and nation, as a people, whenever the public service requires our aid, thus proving ourselves obedient to the paramount laws of the land, and ready at all times to sustain and execute them.

The "University of the City of Nauvoo" will enable us to teach our children wisdom, to instruct them in all knowledge and learning, in the arts, sciences and learned professions. We hope to make this institution one of the great lights of the world, and by and through it to diffuse that kind of knowledge which will be of practical utility, and for the public good, and also for private and individual happiness. The Regents of the University will take the general supervision of all matters appertaining to education, from common schools up to the highest branches of a most liberal collegiate course. They will establish a regular system of education, and hand over the pupil from teacher to professor, until the regular gradation is consummated and the education finished.

At a session of the city council held on the 8th day of February, 1841, Joseph reported a bill for an ordinance to prohibit the sale of liquor at retail, which was subsequently passed and put into effect under the title "An ordinance in relation to temperance." The purpose of this measure was to prevent dram drinking, and the event proved that it was wisely and safely drawn, for Nauvoo, under the strict enforcement of this provision, was able to get rid of the low and the depraved. In the discussion of the bill the Prophet spoke at some length on the use of liquors, showing that they operated as a poison upon the system and demonstrating that even in medicine other and harmless things might take their place.

The part taken by Joseph Smith indicates his willingness to join in any practical labor for the advancement of his fellow-men and for the welfare of his country. He consented to act as a member of the city council because he desired to assist in the promotion of a wholesome municipal government. His inspiration was not entirely among the clouds. It prompted him to those practical works without which no community can hope to achieve happiness and prosperity. He became a trustee of the University because no man of his time loved knowledge more than he, and he wished to assist the institution to present the wisdom of past and present times to the rising generation. He consented to act as Lieutenant-General of the Nauvoo Legion—not that he loved military powers or expected to go to war, but that he recognized the duty of every citizen to be prepared to give his arm to his country's service. His conduct in this respect is a reminder that, notwithstanding his divine appointment, he held himself amenable to every law and every regulation of his country.

On the 1st day of March Councilor Joseph Smith presented bills for ordinances providing for the freedom of all religious sects and denominations, and the freedom of all peaceable public meetings within the city of Nauvoo. The ordinances were passed in accordance with the provisions of his bills. His purpose was not to secure freedom for the Saints within the municipality; for this was made certain by their numerical preponderance and by the fact that nearly all the officials were of their number. But it was always Joseph's plan to encourage further discussion and consideration of religious matters, and he desired that no insult or injury should be offered by any of the people of Nauvoo to any minister, or to any other person who might desire to present views not in accordance with the opinions of the majority. He himself and his associates had suffered so much at the hands of a bigoted majority in the past that he determined to prevent any such offense against justice and against heaven, by the citizens of Nauvoo.

On the 10th day of March, Governor Thomas Carlin issued a commission to Joseph Smith as "Lieutenant-General, Nauvoo Legion, of the militia of the state of Illinois."

The spiritual welfare of the people was never neglected by him, and during this busy period he was still able to impart religious instruction from time to time as the needs of the people made such instruction necessary. A revelation was received on the 19th day of January, 1841, concerning the building of the Nauvoo temple and the order and authority of the Priesthood; also making proclamation to all the world to give heed to the light and glory of Zion. In March of the same year the Saints were commanded by revelation to build a city in Iowa, across the river from Nauvoo, to be called Zarahemla.

The building of the Nauvoo house was directed by revelation that it should be an abiding place for the weary traveler who might seek health and safety and the opportunity to contemplate the word of the Lord. The Prophet and his brethren went forward to fulfill this commandment.

The site selected for a Temple at Nauvoo was most beautiful for situation. The city of Nauvoo was partly built on a level plain and on a noble hill which rose boldly to a height which gave from its summit a commanding view of the surrounding country. The site of the temple was at the summit and in the foreground of this hill. The Mississippi river swept in a half-circle around the lower level of the city, and a number of the north and south terminations of the streets in that part were on the river. The temple could be seen from up and down the river for many miles, and was the most conspicuous building in all that region. The view from its roof and tower was very grand—embracing an extensive view of the river and a wide stretch of forest and improved lands on both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the "Father of Waters."

On the 6th day of April, 1841, the first day of the twelfth year of the existence of the Church of Jesus Christ in this last dispensation, a general conference was convened in the city of Nauvoo. At the same time conferences were being held in England under the direction of Brigham Young and the other Apostles, nine of that quorum being in that land and at Philadelphia under the direction of Hyrum Smith.

At Nauvoo the first step was to lay the corner stone of the temple as directed by revelation from the Lord. On the morning of the 6th a vast procession was formed, which proceeded to the grounds selected for a site. A hollow square of people was formed around the spot, and the officers of the Nauvoo Legion, with the architect of the building, the speakers and others, were conducted to the stand at the principal corner stone—the south-east. After an address by Sidney Rigdon, followed by hymns and prayer, the architect, by direction of the Prophet, lowered the south-east corner stone to its place, and Joseph Smith pronounced the benediction, saying:

The principal corner stone, in representation of the First Presidency, is now duly laid in honor of the great God; and may it there remain until the whole fabric is completed; and may the same be accomplished speedily; that the Saints may have a place to worship God, and the Son of Man have where to lay His head.

After an adjournment for one hour, the people again assembled, and the south-west corner stone was laid by direction of Don Carlos Smith and his counselors, presiding over the High Priesthood. The north-west corner stone was laid under the direction of the high council; and the north-east corner stone was put in place under the direction of Bishop Newel K. Whitney and other officers of the Aaronic Priesthood. As each stone was placed in its position a prayer was offered, and blessings were invoked upon it by the Priesthood of the quorum officiating.

This occasion was a time of much rejoicing for Joseph and the Saints. After all their sufferings from mobocracy they had at last reached a place where they could rest for a season and commence the erection of a house of the Lord. The Lord had a great endowment in store for His Saints. A suitable house was necessary in which to bestow this endowment—a place where the holy ordinances of the gospel could be administered. The foundation stones were now laid, and many and fervent were the prayers which were offered up that the Saints might be permitted to complete it. Joseph was eager to push the work ahead. The people were sick and poor, and it seemed like a very heavy undertaking for so few people as there were there to attempt the erection of such a house. But God had commanded, and they stepped forth cheerfully to obey.

Joseph, in alluding to the proper manner of laying the foundation stones of temples, said:

If the strict order of the Priesthood were carried out in the building of temples, the first stone would be laid at the south-east corner by the First Presidency of the Church. The south-west corner should be laid next. The third or north-west corner next; and the fourth or north-east corner last. The First Presidency should lay the south-east corner stone, and dictate who are the proper persons to lay the other corner stones. If a temple is built at a distance, and the First Presidency are not present, then the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the persons to dictate an order for that temple; and in the absence of the Twelve Apostles, then the Presidency of the Stake will lay the south-east corner stone, the Melchisedec Priesthood laying the corner stones on the east side of the temple, and the Lesser Priesthood those on the west side.

At a later time President Young explained concerning the laying of the corner stones of the Salt Lake temple:

The First Presidency, who are Apostles, started on the south-east corner; then the second Priesthood laid the second stone; we bring them into our ranks at the third stone, which the High Priests and Elders laid; we take them under our wing to the north-east corner stone which the Twelve and the Seventies laid; and there again joined the Apostleship. It circumscribes every other Priesthood, for it is the Priesthood of Melchisedec, which is after the order of the Son of God.

The conference at Nauvoo continued five days, and the time was a happy one for the Saints. In an address to the people on the second day, the Prophet said:

The Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel great pleasure in assembling with the Saints at another general conference, under circumstances so auspicious and cheering; and with grateful hearts to Almighty God for His providential regard, they cordially unite with the Saints, on this occasion in ascribing honor, glory and blessing to His holy name.

It is with unfeigned pleasure that they have to make known the steady and rapid increase of the Church in this state, the United States and Europe. The anxiety to become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, on every hand, is intense, and the cry of "Come over and help us" is reaching the Elders on the wings of every wind; while thousands who have heard the Gospel have become obedient thereto, and are rejoicing in its gifts and blessings. Prejudice, with its attendant train of evils, is giving way before the force of truth, whose benign rays are penetrating the nations afar off.

The reports from the Twelve Apostles in Europe are very satisfactory, and state that the work continues to progress with unparalleled rapidity, and that the harvest is truly great.

In the eastern states the faithful laborers are successful, and many are flocking to the standard of truth. Nor is the south keeping back. Churches have been raised up in the southern and western states, and a very pressing invitation has been received from New Orleans for some of the Elders to visit that city, which has been complied with. In our own state and immediate neighborhood, many are avowing their attachment to the principles of our holy religion, and have become obedient to the faith.

Peace and prosperity attend us, and we have favor in the sight of God and virtuous men. The time was when we were looked upon as deceivers, and that Mormonism would soon pass away, come to nought and be forgotten. But the time has gone by when it was looked upon as a transient matter, or a bubble on the wave, and it is now taking a deep hold in the hearts and affections of all those who are noble-minded enough to lay aside the prejudice of education and investigate the subject with candor and honesty. The truth, like the sturdy oak, has stood unhurt amid the contending elements which have beat upon it with tremendous force. The floods have rolled, wave after wave, in quick succession, and have not swallowed it up. "They have lifted up their voice, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; but the Lord of Hosts is mightier than the mighty waves of the sea," nor have the flames of persecution, with all the influence of mobs, been able to destroy it; but, like Moses' bush, it has stood unconsumed, and now at this moment presents an important spectacle both to men and angels. Where can we turn our eyes to behold such another? We contemplate a people who have embraced a system of religion, unpopular, and the adherence to which has brought upon them repeated persecutions. A people who, for their love to God and attachment to His cause, have suffered hunger, nakedness, perils, and almost every privation. A people who, for the sake of their religion, have had to mourn the premature deaths of parents, husbands, wives and children. A people who have preferred death to slavery and hypocrisy, and have honorably maintained their characters and stood firm and immovable in times that have tried men's souls. Stand fast, ye Saints of God, hold on a little longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are, and who will duly appreciate all your toils and afflictions for Christ's sake and the gospel's. Your names will be handed down to posterity as Saints of God and virtuous men.

On the third day of the conference, the Prophet stated to the assembled Saints that the presidents of the different quorums would be presented before them for their acceptance or rejection. He declared the rule of acceptance or rejection to be by a majority in each quorum; and he exhorted them to deliberation, faith and prayer, that they might be strict and impartial in their examinations. Objection was made to Elder John E. Page, one of the Twelve Apostles, and his case was laid over to be tried before his quorum. Elder Page had been called to accompany Apostle Orson Hyde upon his mission to Jerusalem, but had felt the sacrifice demanded was too great for him, and had delayed until this time.

On this same day Lyman Wight was chosen as an Apostle to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Elder David W. Patten.

About the 1st of May, 1841, Joseph received a visit at Nauvoo from Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, of the Supreme Court of the state of Illinois. On this occasion Douglas was accompanied by his political opponent Cyrus Walker, Esq. "The Little Giant" had not yet entered upon the greatness of his career in politics; but the Prophet recognized in him a master spirit among men. Douglas himself was so deeply impressed by the grandeur of the Prophet's character that he sought him out with deference.

On the 24th of May, the Prophet directed a call to all the Saints to gather to the counties of Lee in Iowa and Hancock in Illinois; and directed the discontinuance of all stakes of Zion outside of these two.

Under date of June 1st, 1841, the Prophet records that Elder Sidney Rigdon had been ordained a prophet, seer and revelator. This ordination was probably attended to in the month of May.

CHAPTER L.

JOSEPH'S VISIT TO GOVERNOR CARLIN AT QUINCY—ARREST ON THE OLD REQUISITION FROM MISSOURI—A SHERIFF NURSED BY HIS PRISONER—JUDGE DOUGLAS DISCHARGES THE PROPHET ON WRIT OF "HABEAS CORPUS"—BROWNING'S ELOQUENT APPEAL—DEATH OF DON CARLOS SMITH—EVENTS AT NAUVOO CLOSING 1841.

On the 1st day of June, 1841, the Prophet accompanied his brother Hyrum and William Law as far as Quincy, Illinois, on their mission to the east. While at Quincy he called upon Governor Carlin at the latter's residence and was treated with marked respect and kindness. In the lengthy conversation which Joseph had with Carlin, nothing was said concerning the requisition formerly issued by the state of Missouri and endorsed by Carlin for the arrest of the Prophet. This requisition had been returned, not served; all excitement concerning it had died away; and the absurd character of the demand made for Joseph's person was supposed to be understood by Carlin and all the other officials of the state.

After enjoying the hospitality of the Governor, Joseph withdrew and had only proceeded a little distance on his homeward journey, when Carlin sent Thomas King, sheriff of Adams County, Thomas Jasper, constable of Quincy, and several others, as a posse, with an officer from Missouri to apprehend the Prophet and deliver him up to the emissaries of Boggs. This large party pursued Joseph and on the 5th day of June overtook and arrested him at Heberline's hotel, Bear Creek, about twenty-eight miles south of Nauvoo. With the formal act of arrest the offense charged against the Prophet was made known, that he was "a fugitive from justice;" but as the fact of his persecution in Missouri was well-known to the posse, and as the officer from Missouri did not conceal the vindictive hate with which he viewed his prisoner nor smother his threats, many of the party left in disgust and returned to their homes, declaring that they would have nothing to do with such outrageous proceedings. Their action had a salutary effect upon the officers who remained. Joseph was taken back to Quincy and there obtained a writ of habeas corpus from Charles A. Warren, master in chancery. Judge Stephen A. Douglas arrived at Quincy that night and appointed a hearing on the writ for Tuesday, the 8th day of June, in Monmouth, Warren County, where the court for the fifth judicial circuit for Illinois would then commence the regular term. On the morning after the arrest, Sheriff King and the Missouri officer with their aides, went to Nauvoo with their prisoner in charge. In the meantime considerable excitement had prevailed in the city, as news of the Prophet's arrest had been conveyed there, and his brethren well knew that for him to return to Missouri was to return to assassination. A party of his friends including Hosea Stout, Tarleton Lewis, John S. Higbee and others, had come by the river to find him at Quincy but had missed him on the way, as he came to Nauvoo by land.

Sheriff King was suffering greatly from ill health; and, after leaving Quincy, was seized with violent illness. At Nauvoo the Prophet took the sheriff to his own house and nursed him like a brother, and continued this assiduous care for his captor during the four days intervening until after the arrival at Monmouth.

On Monday, the 7th day of June, the Prophet departed very early in the morning for the appointed place, which was seventy-five miles distant. He was accompanied by Charles C. Rich, Amasa Lyman, Shadrach Roundy, Reynolds Cahoon, Charles Hopkins, Alfred Randall, Elias Higbee, Morris Phelps, John P. Greene, Henry G. Sherwood, Joseph Younger, Darwin Chase, Ira Miles, Joel S. Miles, Lucien Woodworth, Vinson Knight, Robert B. Thompson, George Miller and others. They traveled all day and until very late, making their camp about midnight in the road.

On Tuesday morning, June 8th, they reached Monmouth, where great excitement prevailed. A multitude of citizens had gathered, filled with curiosity to obtain a sight of the Prophet, whom they expected and hoped to see loaded down with chains. A mob incited by sectarian bigotry attempted to seize his person; but the sheriff, whose health had been partially restored through Joseph's careful nursing, declared that he would protect his prisoner at all hazards, and after much difficulty the mob was repulsed by the sheriff and the friends of order.

An effort was made to have the hearing on the writ immediately, but the state's attorney objected and secured a postponement until the next morning. On that day the citizens were kept in a state of ferment. The sectarian enemies of the Prophet hoped they saw an opportunity to injure him, and they employed a great array of counsel to assist in overthrowing the writ and remanding the Prophet back to his old and blood-thirsty enemies. Others there were not so vindictive, who besought him to preach to the populace that night. They crowded around the prison and flocked to the window to get a peep at him, but the confinement was too close to permit of his addressing them even through the bars, further than to promise them that Elder Amasa Lyman should give them a sermon on the succeeding evening.

At an early hour on Wednesday the court at Monmouth was filled with spectators anxious to witness the proceedings. The counsel in behalf of the Prophet were Charles A. Warren, Sidney H. Little, O. H. Browning, James H. Ralston, Cyrus Walker and Archibald Williams. On behalf of the prosecution there were not only the state's attorneys, but a large number of prominent lawyers employed by Joseph's opponents, and there were also some volunteer prosecutors who thought to get some fame or notoriety out of this case. Threats of the most awful character were uttered against the Prophet's advocates; and even the conservative element warned them that they might expect no further political favors from that county if they persisted in defending a man so repugnant to the sectarian religious element. They were not to be frightened by any such means, and they pursued their course vigorously. Two points were raised for the Prophet. One was that the writ was void, having once been returned to the executive by the sheriff of Hancock County; and the other was that the whole proceeding on the part of Missouri was illegal and that the indictment upon which the requisition was based had been obtained through fraud, bribery and corruption.

A young lawyer from Missouri was among the volunteers to plead against Joseph. While uttering his tirade in court, he was stricken by such pains that he ceased to talk and rushed from the court house. Many of the people who had been amused by his antics, shouted after him, as they saw his pale face and the contortions of his stomach: "Now we know why they call the people of Missouri Pukes."

O. H. Browning made the principal speech for the Prophet. This Mr. Browning afterward became a member of President Johnson's Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior. He was a man of great courage and possessed vigor and eloquence in speech. After covering the points of law involved, he recited many of the indignities which had been perpetrated upon the Prophet in Missouri and ridiculed the idea of his going back to be tried by his sworn murderers. Mr. Browning had been a witness to much of the distress of the Saints. He stated the circumstances of the exile from Missouri, and feelingly and emphatically pointed out the impossibility of Joseph's obtaining justice there. He said that the very men who would be called as witnesses for the defense in the Prophet's case, if it were to be tried in Missouri, were actually forbidden by executive decree under the penalty of death, to enter upon the soil of that blood-stained state. He recounted the cruelties which had been practiced upon the Saints until the streams of Missouri had run with sanguinary hues; and declared that he himself had seen women and children destitute and defenseless, crossing the Mississippi to seek refuge from ruthless mobs. After saying that to send Joseph Smith back to Missouri for trial was but adding insult to injury, he concluded:

Great God! have I not seen it? Yes, mine eyes have beheld the blood-stained traces of innocent women and children, in the drear winter, who had traveled hundreds of miles barefoot through frost and snow, to seek a refuge from their savage pursuers. It was a scene of horror, sufficient to enlist sympathy from an adamantine heart. And shall this unfortunate man, whom their fury has seen proper to select for sacrifice, be driven into such a savage land, and none dare to enlist in the cause of justice? If there was no other voice under heaven ever to be heard in this cause, gladly would I stand alone, and proudly spend my latest breath, in defense of an oppressed American citizen.

So affecting was Browning's address that many of the officers and spectators of the court wept for the woes of the Prophet and his persecuted people.

The case was then adjourned until the next morning. In the meantime, Elder Amasa M. Lyman preached a sermon to which a large congregation listened attentively. His address was marked by such power and spirit that a total revulsion in sentiment took place; and when the court next day decreed the discharge of the prisoner, the populace could no longer be incited by jealous priests into a demonstration against Joseph.

The opinion of Judge Douglas in releasing the Prophet was recorded as follows:

That the writ being once returned to the Executive by the sheriff of Hancock County was dead, and stood in the same relationship as any other writ which might issue from the circuit court; and consequently, the defendant could not be held in custody on that writ. The other point, whether evidence in the case was admissible or not, he would not at that time decide, as it involved great and important considerations relative to the future conduct of the different states. There being no precedent, as far as they have access to authorities, to guide them; but he would endeavor to examine the subject, and avail himself of all the authorities which could be obtained on the subject before he would decide that point. But on the other, the defendant must be liberated.

About 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 10th, the Prophet and his company started upon their return to Nauvoo where they arrived at 4 p.m. on the 11th, and were greeted by the joyous acclamations of the Saints.

Some of the so-called religious publications made this trial a pretext for all manner of false and senseless utterances against Joseph and the people. Their purpose was very apparent. The ministers who preached for hire and divined for money feared to see their craft in danger; the growth of the Saints was too rapid; the influence of Joseph was too great. It did not matter to these enemies of the work that the Saints were law-abiding and industrious, and that the Prophet exercised no unrighteous authority, but labored in love and charity among his brethren and all people. They were determined to spread their lies abroad that a feeling of hatred might be incited against Joseph and the people of Nauvoo; and they were successful, for prejudice continued to enlarge its circle from that time. All these evil reports were colored by statements of the Missouri officials who, to screen themselves gave out the ex parte testimony of mobocrats as being truthful statements of the Missouri persecutions. A few papers had the courage and truth to examine carefully before committing themselves; and were led to protest against the unhallowed warfare waged by the blood-thirsty mob against Joseph and his law-abiding and order-loving brethren in Nauvoo. Among articles of this character was one which appeared in the Juliet Courier, written to the editor of that journal by a spectator of the trial at Monmouth, from which the following is an excerpt:

Before this reaches you, I have no doubt you will have heard of the trial of Joseph Smith, familiarly known as the Mormon Prophet. As some misrepresentations have already gone aboard in relation to Judge Douglas's decision, and the merits of the question decided by the judge, permit me to say, the only question decided, though many were debated, was the validity of the executive writ which had once been sent out, I think in Sept., 1840, and a return on it that Mr. Smith could not be found. The same writ was issued in June, 1841. There can really be no great difficulty about this matter, under this state of facts.

The judge acquitted himself handsomely, and silenced clamors that had been raised against the defendant.

Since the trial I have been at Nauvoo, on the Mississippi, in Hancock County, Illinois, and have seen the manner in which things are conducted among the Mormons. In the first place, I cannot help noticing the plain hospitality of the Prophet Smith to all strangers visiting the town, aided as he is in making the stranger comfortable by his excellent wife, a woman of superior ability. The people of the town appear to be honest and industrious, engaged in their usual avocations of building up a town and making all things around them comfortable. On Sunday I attended one of their meetings, in front of the temple now building and one of the largest buildings in the state. There could not have been less than 2,500 people present, and as well appearing as any number that could be found in this or any state. Mr. Smith preached in the morning, and one could have readily learned, then, the magic by which he has built up this society, because, as we say in Illinois, "they believe in him," and in his honesty. It has been a matter of astonishment to me, after seeing the Prophet, as he is a called, Elder Rigdon and many other gentlemanly men anyone may see at Nauvoo who will visit there, why it is that so many professing Christianity, and so many professing to reverence the sacred principles of our constitution (which gives free religious toleration to all), have slandered and persecuted this sect of Christians.

In the month of July, 1841, the Apostles began to return to Nauvoo from their missions to Europe, and their coming was a great comfort to the Prophet in his hour of affliction. At a special conference which was held at Nauvoo on the 16th of August, 1841, shortly after the return of the Twelve, Joseph stated to the people there assembled that the time had come when the Apostles must stand in their places next to the First Presidency. They had been faithful and had borne the burden and heat of the day, giving the gospel triumph in the nations of the earth, and it was right that they should now remain at home and perform duty in Zion. At the same conference the Twelve selected a number of Elders to go on missions, and Joseph stated to the congregation that it was desirable to build up the cities in Hancock County, Illinois, and Lee County, Iowa.

In addition to the woes wrought by his enemies upon the Prophet he had cause to mourn in August. His infant child Don Carlos died, bringing great distress upon the household. Also his youngest brother, Don Carlos Smith departed this life on the seventh day of August, 1841. This was a great blow to the Prophet and the family. Don Carlos was but twenty-five years of age at the time of his death. He was a young man of considerable promise, and had been very active and zealous in the work from the commencement. He was one of the first to receive the testimony of Joseph respecting the gospel. The evening after the plates of the Book of Mormon were shown to the eight witnesses, a meeting was held at which all the witnesses bore testimony of the truth of the latter-day dispensation. Don Carlos was present at this meeting, and also bore the same testimony. He was ordained to the Priesthood when only fourteen years old, and at that age accompanied his father on a mission to his grandfather and relatives in St. Lawrence County, New York. While on this mission he was the means of convincing a Baptist minister of the truth of the work of God. After this he took several missions, and was very active in the ministry at home, being one of the twenty-four Elders who laid the corner stones of the Kirtland temple. Before he was quite twenty years old he was ordained President of the High Priests' Quorum, in which capacity he acted until the time of his death. He and his counselors laid the southwest corner stone of the temple at Nauvoo. He was a printer, having learned the business in the office of Oliver Cowdery at Kirtland, and when the Elders' Journal was published there he took charge of the establishment. After the Saints removed to Nauvoo, he commenced making preparations for the publishing of the Times and Seasons. To get the paper issued at an early date he was under the necessity of cleaning out a cellar, through which a spring was constantly flowing, that being the only place where he could put up the press. He caught cold at this labor, and this, with administering to the sick, impaired his health, which he never fully recovered again. At the time of his death he was Brigadier-General of the first cohort of the Nauvoo Legion, and a member of the city council of Nauvoo.

Like Joseph and his other brothers, he was a splendidly formed man physically, being six feet, four inches high, very straight and well made, and strong and active. He was much beloved by all who knew him; for he was wise beyond his years, and he appeared to have a great future before him.

On the 12th day of this month Nauvoo was visited by a band of Sac and Fox Indians, under Chiefs Keokuk and Kiskukosh and Appenose. The party consisted of about one hundred chiefs and braves with their families, and they had come to Nauvoo to see the Prophet. At the landing they were met by Joseph and Hyrum and escorted to the meeting ground in the grove, where the Prophet proceeded to address them upon their origin and the promises of God concerning them. His remarks were interpreted to them and gave them great delight. Then he advised them to cease killing each other and warring with other tribes and besought them to keep peace with the whites. In reply to this Keokuk said he had a Book of Mormon which the Prophet had given him years before. Said he to Joseph:

I believe you are a great and good man. I look rough, but I also am a son of the Great Spirit. I have heard your advice; we intend to quit fighting and follow the good advice you have given us.

On the 27th day of August, 1841, Elder Robert Blashel Thompson died at his residence in Nauvoo in the thirtieth year of his age. He had been Joseph's scribe and trusted friend, and the Prophet mourned him sincerely. On the 13th day of September, 1841, Willard Richards was appointed to be his successor.

On the 13th day of September, 1841, Edward Hunter visited Nauvoo and made the acquaintance of the Prophet. This noble man had journeyed from Chester County in Pennsylvania, in answer to the gospel call; and he brought his substance with him. Being a man of wealth, he proved a blessing to the people and city.

Brigadier-General Swazey and the Colonel of the militia of Lee County, Iowa, invited Joseph and Hyrum, with John C. Bennett, to view a military parade at Montrose on the 14th of September, 1841. They accepted the invitation and were very courteously received by the general and the officers, and every mark of respect was extended to them by the militia. A foolish fellow named D. W. Kilbourn, a merchant, took umbrage at the presence of the Prophet and his party and attempted to raise a riot. During the noon hour, when the militia were resting from their exercises, he gathered a large crowd around his store and read to them the following quotation:

Citizens of Iowa:—The laws of Iowa do not require you to muster under or be reviewed by Joseph Smith or General Bennett, and should they have the impudence to attempt it, it is hoped that every person having a proper respect for himself will at once leave the ranks.

Neither the Prophet nor his brother was in military costume, being there entirely in the capacity of private citizens, and the ridiculous insult was so apparent that even Kilbourn's friends resented it. After the exercises were over the Prophet was escorted to the river landing by a large party which bade him farewell with every manifestation of respect and friendship.

At the general conference which was held in the grove at Nauvoo on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th days of October, 1841, many matters of Church welfare were transacted. At the request of the Twelve, Joseph gave instruction on the subject of baptism for the dead.^[[1]] His remarks were a revelation of comfort to the Saints who had sorrowed that their ancestry had been deprived of the privilege of hearing the gospel truth. Among other things which the Prophet uttered on this memorable occasion were the following sentiments:

The only way to obtain truth and wisdom, is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching. It is no more incredible that God should save the dead than that he should raise the dead.

There is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. There is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth. This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it exhibits the greatness of divine compassion and benevolence in the extent of the plan of human salvation.

This glorious truth is well calculated to enlarge the understanding, and to sustain the soul under troubles, difficulties and distresses. For illustration: suppose the case of two men, brothers, equally intelligent, learned, virtuous and lovely, walking in uprightness and in all good conscience, so far as they had been able to discern duty from the muddy stream of tradition, or from the blotted pages of the book of nature.

One dies and is buried, having never heard the gospel of reconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears and embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one become a partaker of glory, and the other be consigned to hopeless perdition? Is there no chance for his escape? Sectarianism answers, None! none!! none!! Such an idea is worse than atheism. The truth shall break down and dash in pieces all such bigoted Pharisaism; the sects shall be sifted, the honest in heart brought out, and their priests left in the midst of their corruption.

At this conference the Prophet announced:

There shall be no more baptisms for the dead until the ordinance can be attended to in the font of the Lord's house, and the Church shall not hold another general conference until they can meet in said house. For thus saith the Lord!

The conference had begun under discouraging circumstances. The weather was unpropitious, and there was some ill health. But before its conclusion a vast number of Saints and visitors from abroad had gathered, and at the last day, when the weather became more favorable, the congregation was a multitude. There was much occasion at this conference for congratulation. The work was prospering at home and abroad. Unanimity prevailed among the Saints in the stakes of Zion; and the missionary Elders were constantly sending up reports of their success among the honest-in-heart.

As the brethren of the Twelve had taken upon their own shoulders many of the burdens which the Prophet had borne in their absence, he was enabled to perform greater labors in the way of general instruction than ever before. Under his direction the temporal interests of the people in Nauvoo prospered greatly. He also read the proofs of the Book of Mormon previous to its being stereotyped.

On the 8th day of November, 1841, the baptismal font in the Lord's house was dedicated, President Brigham Young being spokesman.

The falsehoods concerning the Saints bore evil fruit. Bad men gathered in Hancock and Lee and made depredations upon the property of the Saints and other citizens alike. The thefts perpetrated upon other citizens were attributed to the followers of the Prophet; and the thieves themselves circulated the report secretly that these evil deeds were committed under the direction of Joseph and Hyrum. So industriously were these bad reports scattered and so generally were they believed that in November of 1841, the Prophet and Hyrum gave out to the world their innocence of these deeds, stating that they did not sanction any evil practice in any person whatever, and they warned all people of Nauvoo and the surrounding country against being made the dupes of thieves, plunderers and falsifiers. They declared that the Church would purge itself of all persons connected with any such crime.