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.